Are you team pumpkin spice? Salted caramel? Maybe you’re like me; all of the above. I think I’m particular to these flavors and scents because, as I’ve mentioned before, I truly love fall.  

I have come to realize that another reason I enjoy this time of year is that things slow down, calm a bit as we head into colder and potentially inclement weather. And that makes me think of creating or regaining margin in my life. In a book, margin is the empty space on a page. We wouldn’t enjoy reading as much if the print rushed right up to the edges of the page. In driving it’s the space around my vehicle keeping me from parking too close to someone or crowding another driver. My son used to refer to his personal space as his bubble and he didn’t appreciate folks getting inside his bubble often. But in life? How do I build margin into my daily life?  

If I hit October or November breathing a sigh of relief that things will slow down then I become aware that I’ve been pushing too hard; racing through my days. Fall helps me to slow down, create space in my life, in my mind, and in my heart. Sometimes it’s mental space, sometimes physical. What’s this space for? Well for me, margin in life is for spending time with my family and friends, it’s creating space for thinking, getting to know myself better; introspection. That’s what these scents and flavors remind me of, the coziness of a quiet afternoon spent in reflection and connection. 

 It’s also a time when I feel more content with quiet indoor time reading; exploring new ideas and new authors or reconnecting with beloved authors that I’ve been missing. It can also be a quiet physical space, a bookstore or the library, where I might encounter these new books or authors, but also might encounter friends that I haven’t seen for a while with whom I might get to sit and visit. So, while summer and winter activities keep us on the go, fall is a welcome time to reconnect; with each other, with good books and movies, and maybe most of all with ourselves.