A New Attitude for Fall

Choosing joy over dread, one season at a time

I'm feelin' good from my head to my shoes
Know where I'm goin' and I know what to do
I tidied up my point of view
I got a new attitude-New Attitude, Patty La Belle

Every September, the first pumpkin spice latte feels less like a treat and more like a warning: winter is coming.

Last year, in a post I called “Sad Ness,” I confessed how much I dreaded Fall. Not because it isn’t beautiful, but because it signals that winter — especially late January through March — is on the way. I described how I spent September and October mourning a season that hadn’t even started yet. Looking back now, I realize just how much of my joy I gave away to dread.

This year is different. I’ve got a new attitude.

Research shows that those of us in middle age and beyond tend to obsess over the times of year we dislike. That rumination actually amplifies sadness and anxiety. I have friends who loathe summer and spend those months wishing it away. For me, winter has always been the culprit. But here’s the truth: every season has gifts, if we’re willing to notice them.

So, I’m embarking on a 365-day experiment: to celebrate each season, all four, for what makes it unique. No Pollyanna spin, just a commitment to noticing the good — and letting the joy outweigh the dread.

The “experts” always tell us the same things: exercise, stay social, eat well, get good sleep. Check, check, check, check. These are the pillars of a healthy life — and I do them. But still, the heaviness of winter has shadowed me for decades.

What I’ve realized, now that I’m edging out of middle age, is that what I really need isn’t another prescription. It’s presence. It’s learning to notice — and record — the small, specific, fleeting joys that make each season unique. That’s the shift. Not just knowing I should fight seasonal sadness, but keeping track of the things that make Fall worth celebrating. My own evidence. My own defense against dread.

Photo by Monika Borys on Unsplash

Here’s the start of my Fall seasonal joy list — a living record I’ll keep adding to:

• changing leaves

• warm sunny days / chilly nights

• sweaters, jackets & coats

• scarves and wool hats

• layering outfits

• cozy pjs and slippers

• firewood & the first fire in the fireplace

• soups & stews

• chili and chile (If you are in New Mexico, you know the difference!)

• roasting everything

• football (and baseball playoffs!)

• boots

• baking

• apples

• Fall hikes

• first snow

• Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday)

• the quiet pleasure of holiday prep — because Fall actually runs right up until December 21st

• What am I missing?

This feels like a late-life experiment, but maybe the timing is perfect. After all, it has taken me this long to stop letting one season steal joy from another.

I’d love for you to join me: What’s on your Fall list? What am I missing from mine? What small things keep this season from slipping by unnoticed? I’ll keep adding to mine, and maybe together we can create a new way of moving through the year — one where each season gets its due. (And you can help me prepare my Winter list a bit later in the season.)

Here’s to Fall, and here’s to a new attitude. (It is wrong to admit I don’t go gaga over pumpkin spice everything? Notice that it is NOT on my list?) What say you?

Much love!

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