If only there were a way to bottle up this exact moment in autumn. We wait and wait for peak foliage, then, when it announces its beauty, we all know autumn is already leaving us. This year’s colours have been especially beautiful and vibrant in Ontario, a gift just for us from the earth.

With every country road I take, and every ridge I drive past, I am in awe yet saddened that I can’t somehow hold on to this. I can only observe for a few more days and then keep it in my memory – such as spring and its blooms, or life and its moments. I love winter and look forward to the cold and darker days, but this autumn season’s warmth is what I crave all year long, and I wish I could keep it.

Rather than anticipating autumn’s absence, as my mind wants to default to, I can take pleasure in the current state. Stop and smell the leaves. This is the definition of intentional living, mindfulness, or slow living – putting these into practice is the tricky part. This day is teaching me that quintessential seasonal living lesson of looking up from my task list. The list will be there, but that leaf holding on to its last moment on earth will not. And perhaps, I can simply delight in noticing it.