Sunday, September 20, 2009

Autumn Equinox: Harvest Your Thanks




If you’ve been following Hot Flashbacks for any length of time, you know autumn is my favorite season. As I say of myself in my poem, Happy Birthday:


Born on the cusp of fall
Of woman in spring of life…
Seven pounds some of cosmic energies.

Even in utero, my mind was apparently going faster than my body. I feel so at one with the season of harvest and thanksgiving, yet I was actually born just hours before the equinox when the cosmic clock turned fall. I wanted to be born in autumn so badly; I arrived at its doorstep ahead of time.

In autumn, we harvest the bounty of the things we have been working on since the spring growing season. Figuratively, they could be hopes, dreams, projects or changes in attitude. One thing is certain. The cornucopia is gratitude. The container that holds all of life’s gifts in our hands, even for a moment, is our willingness to say thank-you often for the magnificent cycles of life. Think of the seasons you have lived and breathed for whatever number of years you’ve been here on Earth.

This autumn, I reach a very special birthday. At 62, thinking of myself as middle aged isn’t exactly accurate. If this is the middle, I’d have to live to 124! Not that I’d mind as long as my body works, but it has definitely been making noises like a car that’s pushing 100,000 miles without having had all its regularly scheduled maintenance. I’ve been getting out the oil can and looking at tread wear. I’m beefing up my efforts to keep running at optimum despite a few dents, nicks, and worn parts that have been replaced. My youthful face and active mind is housed in a classic vehicle. It’s impossible to deny it, but I don’t think I want to dwell on it.

Due to a number of those cosmic nudges I always talk about, I will be applying for Social Security early at the end of this month. What a milestone. While I still think I’m too young for such things, I am so grateful for the option—a door that has opened as another one closed—my part-time job. I don’t know what to make of being more officially “senior” than ever before, except to be grateful that I’m still here, alive, and kickin’! When Tim and I got back together after 38 years, one of my favorite oldies that said it all was, Still the One by Orleans. These are some of the lyrics:

I want you to know
After all these years
You’re still the one
I want whisperin’ in my ear.

I feel that way not just about my husband, but also about myself. I want to hear my Higher Self whisper in my ear more than ever.

I like who I have become, and I’m glad I’ve had an opportunity to expand my spirit during this earthly sojourn to become more Me. Every harvest season is a tryout for your final harvest, the time you get to leave earth for a new adventure and leave behind the riches you have acquired in a lifetime. I believe we just become another life or energy form. Our light just looks like it’s burning out. It’s really pulling in to gather force before it explodes--an energetic burst to catapult us to the next plane, to shoot us back to the stars.

This autumn, when you’re writing your gratitude journal or giving thanks at a big turkey dinner surrounded by loved ones, be thankful most of all for your own evolution—for this incredible Earth walk. Give yourself a flashback of your whole life—let it pass before you—and enjoy a preview of that white light experience at the end where you “get” what it was all about. You don’t have to wait till you go to the light to know! Ask for a preview. Share your cool insights about these hot flashbacks in the Comments.

Life is for living all the way to the finish line and for expanding your spirit if you’re 16, 45, 62—or 90. I want to end with one of my favorite quotes in Richard Bach’s, Illusions:

"Here is a test to find out if your mission on earth is finished. If you’re alive, it isn’t."

~~~

Photo Credit: FALL HARVEST © Lulu2009 Dreamstime.com



Want more autumn reflections? Read these past posts: Autumn EquiKnocks and Happy Autumn Equinox.





5 comments:

Susannah said...

Hi Joyce,
I'm passing on to you a "Kreativ Blogger" award, because I really enjoy your blog, and I think you deserve it!. See my most recent post at Joy Frequencies.

Very best wishes,
Susannah

http://joyfrequencies.blogspot.com/

Joyce Mason said...

Susannah, I am thrilled with this second nomination for a Kreativ Blogger Award. Thank you for your vote of confidence and for being a loyal reader of this blog! I will "play it forward" in the weeks to come. Thank you for adding so many sparkles to my life!

Susannah said...

Happy birthday Joyce - have a truly wonderful day! x

Eileen Williams said...

Dearest Joyce,

Birthdays are a blessing (they mean we're still around) and this one is a special biggie. You know, I can relate!
I still choose to think of myself as middle aged but, you're right, even if I do keep up with my exercise, living to 124 seems unlikely.
Nevertheless, my friend, you continue to shine with the heart and soul of a woman with many talents and insights to share. I wish you great happiness and joy as you embark on this new year of life. And, yes, fall brings a special bounty of gifts... just like you!

Joyce Mason said...

What a beautiful birthday wish, Eileen. Thank you! You always let me know how much you appreciate me, and I think that's a major key to longevity, when people appreciate our contributions. It is so mutual. With any luck, we'll still be cheering each other on into our 90s--and maybe beyond. With the focus on longevity because of the large boomer generation, we might just prove to be quite durable. :)