Technically we’ve been in Autumn since September 21, but the change of the seasons only became real for me this past week.  We had the Halloween holiday, pumpkins were everywhere, the weather has been a little cooler, I’ve actually started wearing sweaters into the office.  And the most significant occurrence is that we actually had a little rain.  Boy did the rain feel like a blessing, even if only a little of it.

Noticing the changing of the seasons is one of the ways I stay connected to reality, which is an important part of my spiritual practice.  I’ll talk a little more about that in a sermon at the end of this month.  The basic practice, though, is to notice the difference between the wonderful ideas and interpretations that constantly run through our minds, and the real world we’re actually a part of.

I love ideas and stories (talk to me about the opera sometime!)  But I also know how this inventive gift of human creativity can lead us astray.  Fantasies can lead us to thoughts that frighten us or cause us to separate from the community and care we need.  Coming back to noticing what’s really real:  this tree, this breath, this rain, can help us reconnect to reality and thus our ability to respond in ways that are healthy and helpful.