FALLING FOR FALL
As summer sings its official swan song, and whirring air conditioners make way for blankets, I find myself contemplating on how the seasons are such a metaphor for life. Fall in particular seems to have the worst reputation. We tend to associate fall with sadness because our beloved summer is moving on. Spring is all about rebirth and renewal and the promise of warmer weather. But fall reminds us that winter is near, especially if you live in a northern climate. Maybe it's a raging pandemic with no certain end in sight. Or the harsh reality of our own mortality, as family, friends, and people worldwide succumb to an unseen virus. But lately, I have been seeing fall in a whole new light, and I am becoming more grateful for the lessons that this season has to teach.
As I enter into the sixth decade of my life, fall reminds me that all the energies that make up our universe are interconnected and in a perpetual state of renewal. We sometimes forget that fall also represents the harvest. A time of abundance, when we reap what we have planted. And as this season makes its exit, and trees become barren sentinels, their leaves will be renewed as compost for the soil. Protecting the organisms that live in its depths, blanketing them under the cover of snow and ice. Fall is a badass. An encore to a fling with summer. A sunset to a life lived, but not over. No regrets.
So I am falling in love with fall, and myself. I choose to embrace the uncertainty. Carrying a sweater in case I need it, no longer a chore. It has become a time of reflection. Not of completion. And like the trees who have no choice in dropping their leaves, I will compost my outdated ideas and embrace new goals. During the sojourn of winter, I will not only carry on my work, but also rest, study, and cocoon. Cocooning, hopefully not because of an enforced lockdown, but an opportunity to slow down, to live in the now. Each season has its feels. And I’m lovin’ fall right now.
Check out our October Newsletter for some tidbits of health information relevant to fall and also what we are up to at Paradise Natural Foods. We are especially excited about Soil to Soul: A Farm to Table Fundraiser, generously hosted by Keep Growing Detroit, on October 23. Come thru. We would love to feed you as we share chef Nezaa's cultural and culinary journey.
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Keep Growing Detroit (KGD) farm at the Eastern Market, has graciously invited us to curate a Farm To Table dinner on October 23, 2021, from 3p- 6p. The dinner will celebrate the fall harvest and each of the 5 courses will be curated by Chef Nezaa as a cultural journey from Jamaica to Canada and her sojourn in America from the East and West Coast to Detroit. The sensory experience of the dishes will be augmented by stories of her travels as she invites you to find your own place on her plates.