Welcoming Fall

Michelle Nott discusses the importance of learning to trust God and welcome change in our lives.

There has been a crispness in the air the past few mornings that serves as a reminder that fall is on the horizon. The season of fall is a great reminder that change can be beautiful and lead to a life full of excitement and color!

However, it doesn’t diminish the fact that change can also be scary for most people. And the season of fall brings about a lot of changes for a lot of families. Our kids start school, maybe at a new place, activities start up, and family dynamics change as everyone transitions to new routines. It can be a lot for anyone to go through that much change in a short amount of time.

I usually welcome fall with open arms. It was always such a fun season for me growing up, and I love passing that excitement on to my kids. Putting out fall decorations, enjoying seasonal flavors, going to the pumpkin patch, and being able to wear sweatshirts again are all so much fun.

But last year, I was dreading it. I was not ready for fall to begin because that would mean that summer was gone, and winter loomed ahead. And in Iowa, winter can feel never-ending. Fall also brings some unpleasant memories for me, as I experienced my miscarriage in September 2021. Anniversaries are always difficult, and last year was the 1-year anniversary of that loss.

Last year was also a difficult season of transition for me as I was navigating a new season in a new house, and kids beginning new schools, while taking care of my other three young kids (one was a newborn) at home. Life was chaotic. Life was changing. And I felt out of control. Suddenly, fall was not my friend but instead an unwanted guest trying to enter my home. I wasn’t ready to let go of summer yet. Summer felt safe.

The truth is that life is full of seasons that are always changing. And while that is a scary thought, it also makes life exciting. God designed our life to be full of seasons, and each one brings different forms of beauty. We go through different seasons in our environment, in our personal lives (kids, teens, young adults, middle age and beyond), our vocations (single, married, widowed), our motherhood (young mom, mom of teens, mom of adults), and our faith. Experiencing this variety of seasons provides us with opportunities for growth and development.

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We need to remember that despite the chaos and changes happening around us, there is still one constant: God. God is with us through it all. We are called to be flexible and embrace the challenges life throws at us with an open heart and mind. Part of having trust in God is knowing that He will provide.

But trusting in God doesn’t mean just dismissing our feelings of anxiety; instead, it can look like talking about our anxiety with a trusted individual and validating those feelings. Once we validate them, we can better approach them and not let them control our lives.

Last year I was letting my anxiety of the future take over my feelings to the point where I couldn’t see the beauty in the change happening around me. However, once I validated my fears in a therapy session and chose to focus on just things happening in the present, I was able to find joy, re-establish my friendship with fall, and create fun memories with my family.

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God designed our life to be full of seasons, and each one brings different forms of beauty. #CatholicMom

It is okay to feel anxious about the future and all the changes taking place around you. Everyone is experiencing transitions at this time of year. But also realize that with change comes beauty! When we learn to trust God and choose to see the changing colors of the leaves and the potential fun this season can bring for our family, we will begin to feel more joyful and hopeful for the future.

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