Autumn Reflections by Tony Plummer

It’s a time of year that nearly everyone loves: Autumn. The cooling temps, lower humidity (those who know me understand this is a real blessing to me!), changing leaves, and the upcoming holiday season where hope is renewed and families are reunited. It all combines to be a wonderful segway to “the most wonderful time of the year!”

 

Recently, my original nuclear family travelled to Kansas to prepare my grandmother’s house for selling. She is in a memory care unit under the terrific care of a team of caregivers. She left behind a house that had been home for over 50 years. As you might imagine, there were lots of things to go through and sort, sell, recycle, pitch, or shred. Our family worked 14 hour days for seven days straight and made a lot of progress. It was exhausting and emotional as we looked through items that had meant so much to so many going back to the late 1800s. (Did I mention grandma never threw anything away?) We found the hair clippings of her baby brother who was born in the 1920s and went MIA in World War II. What do you do with that?

 

After that long week, we headed further west to Colorado and enjoyed a few days in the Rocky Mountains. It was my first time in the Rocky’s during autumn. What a treat! We had a really great time hiking and enjoying nature at its finest. During one of our hikes, I snapped this picture of a storm coming in with a small road winding its way through the valley. I wasn’t terribly focused on the picture since I was more intent on staying dry if possible. Looking at the picture now, I can’t help but think of Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Less Traveled.”

 

We never know for sure where life will take us, or how our journey along the way will develop. But I have found that putting others first and striving to make a difference in the lives of others has created a beautiful journey. Indeed, it’s made all the difference.