Today is September 1, and tomorrow is Labor Day. Our short burst of carefree summer comes to an end, and our moods shift back towards responsibilities- of school, college, work, even retirement projects! As I sit on our deck, reflecting back to the Summer of 2019, I am grateful for the sights and sounds of summer. For us in the Northeast of USA, summer is an opportunity to enjoy nature more fully, even though our other seasons bring different kinds of enjoyment of nature too. We go to the beach, we walk in the forests, we swim in pools, or we sit on our decks just admiring the natural greenery around us and feeling the gentle breeze- my late aunt Hafiz Butt used to call it “jannat ki hawa” meaning the breeze of heaven. And we like to do this in groups, as we are social animals, and so we get to hang outside with family and friends- what a treat that is. In other regions of the world, summer is much longer and therefore does not hold that special place in our hearts that we have here. In fact, when driving to Toronto with our Pakistani friends, Shabnam and Javed Jabbar, I noticed how much they enjoyed the rain while driving through the mountains, as that is more valued than just dry sunshine! For me, having four seasons (or even 3 and a half as we have been having in our area) is a real treat, and I like to think of summer as weaving a basket of flowers, with each flower representing a different summer highlight. This way I can look at it and appreciate it when summer is over and use it to warm my memories on cold fall and winter days
For us, this summer meant staying local and enjoying many family reunions, with visitors from as far as Pakistan and Dubai to Canada, San Francisco, Austin, etc. Our global family and friends bring us closer to feeling one with the rest of the world, which is a unique educational and spiritual gift, and I hope future generations keep those ties and feelings alive. I wish more people had exposure to different cultures and their values, habits, accomplishments, and their unique contributions to human civilizations; we might have less of the divisions, hate and even violence that we seem to be surrounded by. We might be more appreciative, more inclusive, and in general feel more abundance in life when looking at the bigger picture, rather than our micro view of our small world.
As I mingle with my fellow co-retirees or retirees-to-be, we talk a lot about the cycle of life, and how it feels to be here, at the autumn of life. I know, I know many people hate that term “autumn” when applied to human life, but I think it is real and provides a valuable metaphor. Like ripe fruit, we are ready to give our most to the world, to our family and friends, first, and then to others who need help. We have wisdom and knowledge to share, time to give and love to amplify. And we automatically do more for others. I read a book by David Brooks recently called “The Second Mountain”, and he shared how we live most of our lives climbing the first mountain- of achievement- and when we reach the top/ we realize we need more. That’s when we seek the second mountain, which is about giving to others and causes greater than our micro-world. So, as we approach September, it is a good time to review, reflect and renew our intentions for our legacy. That is why I welcome September with a warm hello- it is so full of promise!
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