Written by Anna Phalen

The Trees, nearly bare, and the flowers at the end of a slow surrender. 

The wind now carries a heavy sound as it passes through. 

Geese, grandparents, and cold-blooded comrades have all headed south, before winter, ‘happens to us.’ 

Fall and your trigger finger are both starting to settle in.  

Nature is changing. 

We need change. 

With life comes loss…and that’s life.  

Sometimes you’re ready, and other times you didn’t think you’d ever need to be. 

But here you are. 

Our deepest of bonds

And truest of loves

Are from the very start

Set in motion down a path that will eventually lead us to our greatest of heartaches

Our greatest pain

That final goodbye will eventually find us

One of life’s few guarantees

Yet, somehow, we continue to embrace love as one of the purest, and most intense of emotions one can experience

That we

Are

In fact

One of the lucky ones to have found such a thing

They say it’s rare 

A gift. 

I guess what I’m trying to say is

Slow down  

Listen to the wind when you have too much to do 

Go sit by some water

Let yourself be sad about all those things you had to be strong for long ago

 Just.

Be.

Let yourself experience every emotion

And remember, it all started as love

And, in the meantime

Go tell your Ma she’s pretty

And remind your Daddy he’s a good man.