Padre’s Ponderings: Living in September

I love the long summer days—sitting on my front porch, taking evening walks with our pup well past 7:00 while the sun is still on my shoulders, and getting away from Charleston to rest and recharge. And yet, I can sense a change in the air around me. The lawn still needs to be mowed and trimmed, but the early mornings are a little cooler, and the sun is beginning to dip earlier each evening.

Over the years, I’ve developed a sense of dread as this time of year approaches. I’m not a fan of the cold, especially the gray and dark days of winter. But I’m going to make this September different.

Too often, I spend September through November dreading the winter that is still months away. Instead of enjoying the warm days, the changing humidity, and the first hints of autumn, I find myself dwelling on the season I could do without: winter.

Here’s the thing, though: my anxiety about the cold winter months doesn’t actually prepare me for them. Worrying about the shortening days, the leaves falling from the trees, and the eventual return of cold and gray weather only robs me of the beauty and joy that September and October have to offer.

So this year, I’m choosing something different. I invite you to enjoy these September days, regardless of how you feel about the seasons ahead. The month we have right now is September. This is the season God has given us today.

I’m choosing to live in September rather than worry about January through March. I suspect September will be much more enjoyable this year—and I invite you to join me in the joy of simply being present to the season we’re in.

In God’s Grace,

Eric L. Miller+

Rector and Dean