There is a book, popular among authors and artists, called The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. She speaks of filling the well. By this she means replenishing the reservoirs of our being so, as creative people, we can draw from that source.

Artists need to continually fill their mind with images in order to paint or write. But everyone needs the same refreshment in order to live life with serenity. Caregivers need time for renewal. Mothers need a break. Face it, life wears us down and we all need to be refreshed on a regular basis. For a few weeks I want to talk about how to accomplish this. How to find refreshment for your weary soul. Or your depleted creativity or your dry inner being. Ps. 23:3 reminds us that God restores our souls. God fills the world with ways to be refreshed and restored.

I don’t aim to present an exhaustive list, only to point out a few ways. Hopefully my ways will trigger other things you could enjoy doing. My ways, for the most part, take little time and little money. Sometimes an afternoon or an hour or even a few minutes will suffice.

Now to get on with it. This week I found refreshment in Autumn.  In her poem, Walking, Dilys Laing describes autumn this way:

Walking

By Dilys Bennet Laing

“I walked on bracken, and dry leaves after

That flamed with color and crackled with laughter.

I walked on the earth as the seasons came

And under my feet it was never the same.”

Autumn is colors. Red, yellow, gold, brown.

An exuberant burst of color that is almost more than our senses can take.

Or…

Hidden colors tucked into dark places.

Both the overabundance and the tiny flashes are a treat to the senses and the soul.

Autumn is patterns. Shadows and shapes that draw the eye.

Autumn is wildlife. The honk of geese flying overhead in a V. Choreographed flocks of blackbirds dancing across the sky in the hundreds. Never bumping into each other.

Signs like this beaver-chewed tree stump that remind us of life all around us.

Autumn is sounds. Walking by the river in a nearby park I think of Thorton Burgess books such as The Adventures of Peter Cottontail and how this author gave nature human characteristics such as the laughing brook.

I like the rustling reeds.

There is something muted and soothing about autumn sounds.

Autumn is the promise of spring seen in berries and seeds.

I spent a couple of hours at a nearby park reflecting on the beauties of the season.

Do you need refreshment today? How about a walk, or drive in the country? If it’s too cold to be outside, why not find a coffee shop or restaurant with a window that allows you to enjoy the season?

Enjoy. Be refreshed.