Our Rural Roots

Meredith Bernard, Contributor

We made it, y'all. Through the record-high temps, unbearable humidity and even smoke from wildfires in Canada that traveled all the way to North Carolina. Fall is knocking on our door, and I'm here for it.

There's something soothing about walking outside and feeling the crisp air again. That snap is a reminder that hard seasons don't last forever, and our circumstances are only a mirror of the present, not what's ahead or possible. September has a way of ironing out summer and leaving us with the promise of relief ahead.

As the trees change from green to shades of orange, yellow and red, they bring a different landscape to what has become familiar for so many months. It's another reminder that change may be uncomfortable, but it can also be beautiful when we embrace it for its potential.

In the next month, we'll have baby calves being born, hay wrapped up for the year and another cycle of life both ending and beginning again at the same time. Farming is a never-ending mixture of both. A seed planted in spring and tended to all summer, with any luck and lots of prayer, reaches its full potential in fall to produce a crop that keeps the cycle going year after year. A dance between calculated risks and a lot of blood, sweat and sometimes tears, keeps our dreams alive. And, that to me is the beauty of fall.

So, swing your arms wide and give yourself a big pat on the back. Fall represents the culmination of months of hard work to reap the rewards of harvest. Like those tiny seeds we trust to germinate and grow, farmers keep working to keep the world fed in one way or the other. Fall is a great reminder to embrace the miracles around us.

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-- Meredith Bernard writes, photographs and celebrates fall on the farm from North Carolina. Follow her on social media @thisfarmwife and visit her website at https://thisfarmwife.com/…

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