A Moment with Martha – Getting Ready for Hibernation
Autumn has arrived as softly as its intention, quietly heralded by the gradual drop in temperature, the change in the color of leaves, and people stocking up their pantries with extra pasta and soup in anticipation of chilly winter nights. Fall has always been my favorite season for the simple fact that the world seems to slow down and whisper, “Time for a rest.” It’s like that mandatory naptime in kindergarten; whether you wanted to lie down on the small mat or not, you had to. After all the fun and playing, the teacher would dim the lights, and everyone had to be quiet.
I think Mother Nature had the same idea. She knew we wouldn’t slow down on our own, so she sends all the cues to change not only our clothing but our habits, as if blowing the whistle on all the activity from summer and sending us back into our homes. The natural world is hunkering down for a good, long sleep, so why shouldn’t we?
I’ve always loved the idea of preparing for hibernation. Autumn is the season of thicker socks and pulling my sweaters out from the bottom of the drawer, my warmer coat from the back of the closet, and nights spent sitting in front of a roaring fireplace. The colder weather makes me appreciate the warmth, which I complained about in August. The early darkness makes me eager to go to bed sooner. The piles of fallen leaves reminds me of the circle of life, which is so easy to forget when everything is blooming and thriving.
When someone very smart explained to me the actual scientific explanation behind the changing of leaves, I was flabbergasted. The leaves apparently change color because the chlorophyll in them is drawn back down deep into the tree to help it survive the winter. Then, in the spring, the tree will send the chlorophyll back into the new leaves making them green.
As I sat pondering the science lesson, I knew there was a larger life lesson to be learned.
Like the trees that draw back their chlorophyll to nourish new leaves later on, I often need to pull back on my activities and keep a reserve so that I may be replenished as well. The problem with slowing down is that it’s looked down upon in our culture. The world wants you to go, go, go until you drop from exhaustion.
I say thank goodness for autumn and the example of hunkering down for hibernation. Thank goodness that when the green vibrancy of the leaves disappears, we are given the reminder that it is also our turn to draw back into our selves, be quiet as daylight dims, and prepare for a long and peaceful winter night sleep. We may have thought we outgrew the lesson of naptime from our kindergarten teacher, but Mother Nature kindly teaches us this over and over.