Sacred September

There is something magical about the month of September. I’ve always loved this time of year. In one of my favorite romcoms, You’ve Got Mail, Joe (Tom Hanks) sends Kathleen (Meg Ryan) an email talking about how much he loves the city during the fall. He goes on to say, “It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils…”

I can relate.

My kids have largely been home for 18 months. With school starting, we’ve been supply shopping. And I’m so tempted to pick up a few (unnecessary) things for myself. They are all in different schools and had different schedules and different requirements that trying to keep track of it all became a full time job. This week, all three of my kids will be in school AT THE SAME TIME. That is, as long as this case of the sniffles that my youngest has caught fades away quickly. Fingers crossed. But I digress.


September. Is. Magical.

The change of seasons, the shedding of old, the preparation of nature’s annual rest… it all makes me feel connected to the age old rituals of Mother Nature. A reminder that I’m part of something that is so much bigger than just me. It is a period of time that I cherish and I look forward to it as summer winds down each year.

I relish in this time. I make lists of activities to do with the kids. I take time every day to watch the changing foliage. I wrap myself in sweaters and hoodies and sit by bonfires and sip apple cider and life is good.

There is something else that September always inspires me. With the start of the autumn season, the beginning of a new school year, it encourages me to start fresh in certain areas of my life. I am encouraged to recommit to myself. Because September, to me, is sacred.

For the past week, I’ve been meditating regularly on the word “sacred” and what it means to me. I’ve been looking at what I consider to be sacred and if my actions around those things align accordingly. I’ve been dissecting why I consider some things sacred and others as simply commonplace. This has involved an active process of noticing and thoughtfully considering things like my values and beliefs.

I’ve been asking myself a lot of questions like, “why do I feel that way about this thing? Where did that belief come from? What would happen if I changed the way I look at this?”

It’s a very introspective time for me. But it fits with the start of September. As nature settles in to shed the past few months of growth and wrap itself in a warm blanket to protect itself from the coming winter, I feel like I’m doing the same thing.

I’m shedding old thoughts and assumptions.

I’m evaluating progress I’ve made and where I want to go next.

I’m weeding out the nonessential pieces of my life.

I’m closing out old chapters and opening up to the possibilities of new ones.

I’m wrapping my heart up in a warm blanket of self-care to make sure that I’m ready for what is coming, even if I don’t know what that is.

Change is afoot. I used to hate change. Now, I do my best to welcome it. I’m by no means great at this, but I know that change means opportunity, growth and new doors to be opened, even if I’m sad that another has been closed.

I cannot make progress in my life if I refuse to change anything. Progress, growth and expansion all require change. If I want to become the woman I think God wants me to be, I have to face the coming changes head on. And that is what I’m focusing on going into this September.

September is sacred to me. And I can’t wait to see what this September brings.