September’s Guide to Professional Leaf Peeping
September hits different when you’re over 40.
One minute you’re lying to yourself that sunburn is “a healthy glow,” and the next minute you’re unironically squealing over miniature gourds at Target like they’re actual treasure.
But here’s what September really is: the universe’s way of reminding us that we’ve been running on fumes since Memorial Day.
The Great September Reality Check
You know that feeling when Labor Day weekend ends and suddenly you remember you haven’t sat still since June? Welcome to September, the month that basically taps you on the shoulder and says, “Hey, remember when you said you’d relax this summer?”
Yeah…me neither.
I spent the entire summer telling myself I’d slow down “after this one thing” or “once the kids are settled” or “when work calms down.” Spoiler alert: work never calms down, and kids are never settled.
So here I am in late September, looking at my calendar like it’s written in hieroglyphics, wondering why I thought signing up for seventeen different fall activities was a good idea.
The Pumpkin Spice Paradox
Can we talk about how pumpkin spice season has become the ultimate metaphor for how we approach self-care?
We get all excited about “cozy fall vibes” and “slowing down for autumn,” but then we pack our schedules tighter than a pair of Jordache jeans from 1985. We’re out here buying pumpkin candles while scheduling ourselves into oblivion.
I caught myself doing this exact thing last week. I’m literally planning my “relaxing fall evening routine” in my calendar app. The irony wasn’t lost on me.
If you have to schedule relaxation, you’re probably doing it wrong.
September’s Sneaky Lesson
But here’s what September actually teaches us, if we’re paying attention.
Those leaves aren’t falling because they’re giving up. They’re falling because they know when it’s time to let go.
Maybe we could learn something from trees. They don’t feel guilty about dropping what they don’t need anymore. They don’t apologize for changing colors. They just do what they need to do to prepare for what’s coming.
Meanwhile, I’m over here feeling bad about canceling plans I didn’t want to make in the first place.
The September Self-Care Challenge
So here’s my challenge for the rest of September: let’s be more like trees and less like that person who says yes to everything and then complains about being busy.
Drop something that’s not serving you. Don’t apologize for changing your mind about commitments that drain you. Prepare for what’s actually coming instead of what you think you should be doing.
And maybe, just maybe, actually drink that pumpkin spice latte slowly instead of chugging it between meetings.
If we can’t figure out how to slow down when the entire natural world is literally showing us how it’s done, when the hell are we going to learn?
September isn’t just the Monday of seasons. It’s also our annual reminder that we’re allowed to change pace without asking permission.