Autumn has arrived in Sonoma County California. The days are still warm and the evenings very cool. Vineyards have just given their bounty of grapes to be used in wine making. The hill sides all neatly arranged in perfect rows create a majestic painting of red, yellow and gold as the leaves begin to change color. I appreciate the orderliness of the vineyards, it appeals to my nature.

 The vines have been tended with love all season. Every shift in weather has been taken into account to produce the very best product after harvest. Yet there is so much that is just left to chance. If the weather shifts before the grapes are picked everything could be lost, if the temperatures have been to hot or to cold the quality will be comprised.

Isn't life the same way? We plan and prepare the very best we know how. We attempt to take into account all of the variables and yet the unexpected happens, illness, death of a loved one or change in a relationship. The unexpected can also be a fabulous year that brings growth in many areas, exhilarating and challenging at the same time.

The seasons of nature and of life have much to teach us if we pause long enough to be with the experience. As the leaves turn in their death cycle they produce amazing beauty , falling away, and preparing the way for the new growth to come in the spring. Is there something in your life that is ready to shift and fall away making room for the new growth to come?