how much longer will the sunflowers bloom?

Autumn is beginning to make itself known,

and though new sunflowers are blooming everyday,

many are beginning to fade away.

I notice that the newer blooms are darker,

more nuanced with shades of orange and brown.

The blooms are smaller, but deeper, mostly looking downward,

and the bees are as busy as ever.

Noticing the subtle changes of the seasons keeps me grounded and relaxed.

When fall arrives, I too am as busy as ever, and often overwhelmed.

Death, sickness, pain and dying have been prominent themes

in not only my life as of late,

but in the lives of many people I know and love.

Making peace with these things -saying goodbye-

trying to alleviate pain- both physical and emotional-

in ourselves and in those who are the sick and dying ones,

trying to make sense of and understand even a little bit

of the histories and pasts and presents - - -

These are awesome and sometimes seemingly impossible tasks.

Making peace is the hard part.

for me - being a part of the natural world

- the noticing and appreciating-

the learning - it helps.

I am grateful for the beauty in the world that surrounds me constantly,

and my ability to be a part of it and to notice it and to appreciate it.