With autumn comes bountiful harvest of memories, possibilities

Autumn is a rich time of the year filled with memories and possibilities. The Northwest sparkles with dazzling red, purple and golden flowers. Back-to-school energy mixed with football mania and doing the Puyallup makes September a month to look forward to.

For many, September has more of a New Year's feel than January. We return to a rhythm and routine that will take us through the next nine months. Although September is generally not the time for resolutions, we want our post-summer routines to begin on the right foot. No wonder we see as many weight-loss commercials in September as we do during the first of the year.

Meaningful rituals help us mark time in our lives. Many churches will have homecoming celebrations this month. We welcome back those who feel summer is the time to sleep in and skip church for three months. Church choirs are back in operation and Sunday schools gear up for another year of training and discipleship.

Our taste buds and noses get in on the seasonal change too. This is harvest time. New crops of apples delight our taste buds with varying combinations of crunch, sweet and tart. Our diets seem to change come September. Light salads give way to hearty soups and stews. Soon fires will warm our homes and hearts as family and loved ones gather around.

Memories of how special this time of the year has been for us is a good thing. But sometimes we can get stuck in our memories and lose sight of current possibilities. There is a plaque in my home that reads, "Never let your memories be greater than your dreams." It is comforting to surround ourselves with our memories. We know how the rituals of yesterday turned out. But, as the old saying goes, it is hard to move forward looking in the rearview mirror.

To create new rituals takes risk. What if the new rituals are not as much fun? What if we invite others to participate, and they do not show up? There is always risk when we plan for tomorrow. We will only find certitude in what happened yesterday. The hope of new joys and deeper friendships are possible if we extend ourselves beyond our comfort zone.

We must be careful glamorizing our yesterdays. The human psyche has a way of forgetting painful moments of our past and focusing on the good. In many ways, that is not a bad thing. Who wants to dwell on the painful memories of a parent who always missed our games, holidays and concerts because of hangovers, blackouts or a work schedule that seemed more important.

When a divorce is finalized, there is a tendency to forget the mean, horrible parts of the relationship and only remember the better parts. So while our memories of yesterday may be warm and fuzzy, all that happened in reality may not have been so blissful.

Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not promised, so what we have is today. The beauty of today is not dependent on the weather. We can have good days when it is pouring rain and on cloudless sun-drenched days. Our attitude can make today a wonderful day or just another 24 hours to endure.

September begins my favorite season of the year as the nights get longer and the days cooler. Our memories of autumns gone by can warm us, but the best part of this season is uncovering new surprises and abundant blessings that await us each new day.

The Rev. Patricia L. Hunter is an associate in ministry at Mount Zion Baptist Church and an employee-benefits specialist for American Baptist Churches in the USA. Readers may send feedback to faithcolumns@seattletimes.com