DCNS September/October Blog: Reflections on the End of Summer
The transition of seasons from Summer to Fall is always a welcome and relaxing time for me. I experience a huge sense of relief when the summer heat waves are finally over, and the mornings shift from steadily rising heat to invigorating, brisk and cool weather. Thankfully, I no longer have to fight with mosquitoes every time I water the garden, and I do not have to rush and complete my errands before noon to avoid wilting in the heat.
But this past summer wasn’t all bad. Our plants bloomed and grew like never before, flowers were in abundance and everything - vegetables and bees, lizards, birds and insects etc., loved the heat as long as there was shade and enough water. There were also days when the heat of the evening and early morning felt like being surrounded by a calming, warm blanket of air that erased the memory being roasted by the sun.
Fall, however, has its own special qualities. It is a wonderful time of year to slow down, watch the clockwork precision of changes in nature, enjoy a warm cup of chai tea, or pumpkin latte, or a nice bowl of pumpkin soup. And it is a good time to reflect on the year’s personal and professional activities.
Just like a gardener preparing their plot for a winter rest, I often do an assessment of the years activities to prepare my mind for a much-needed rest and to focus on enjoying the upcoming holiday season and starting to plan for future goals and activities in the year ahead. During this time, I look back on the year and ask myself if I learned anything new and meaningful, if I managed to set aside valuable time for self-care, and if I took time to interact with, help, and learn more about the people in my life.
To be honest, this year was both extremely rewarding and challenging. While some of my activities created life-long memories (being awarded a service medal by the American Culinary Federation - ACF) and other activities required learning new skills and balancing administrative duties for two professional organizations. Fortunately, I was able to work closely with each organizational team, and we accomplished our goals and objectives. I even participated with our ACF SF chapter board and members in planning and hosting a first of its kind end of summer family event at our local zoo. In fact, we had so much fun that it may become an annual event.
This Fall, I am ending the summer on a grateful note, thankful for all my experiences, opportunities and even the setbacks and failures. And like my garden, I am ready to take a seasonal break. I hope that you are able rest as well, and re-charge this Fall and Winter and that your holidays are filled with good memories and the anticipation of more good things to come.
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