Out here in Nebraska we’ve been experiencing a week of perfect fall weather. Mornings are crisp. Afternoons are filled with sparkling blue skies, sunshine and the hint of color in the trees as the leaves change. Pumpkins are popping up on front porches and I can practically taste the apple cider as I drive through the neighborhood.
A few weeks back I wrote about how certain sounds can evoke a response from us and this week I wondered about how particular days can do the same. I used to absolutely love the fall, but I’ve realized that now the first hints of autumn always carry with them a sense of melancholy. It’s been over twenty years since my dad died one September night, but I remember it clearly. Fall had just made an appearance in Connecticut that year and so now I can’t help feeling that twinge of loss whenever the leaves start turning yellow and the air gets cooler.
There’s a particular smell of spring rain on asphalt that immediately sends me back to my days as a freshman in college. I can see steam from manhole covers and the soft glow of street lamps on the rain soaked sidewalks as I make my way across campus after a late night visiting a friend.
The first snow of winter brings with it the craving for hot chocolate and cuddles by a roaring fire as that’s what I recall from endless days sledding in my childhood.
What are the days that trigger memories for you? Is it a gentle spring rain or a violent summer storm? Drop me a line and let me know!