Stay Awhile
Fall has always been my favorite time of year. Maybe it's because here in the mountains it never seems to last quite long enough. The air gets a little more crisp and cool, the colors begin to change, and somehow everything feels like an invitation to spend just a little more time outside.
There are football games under the Friday night lights, evenings around the fire pit, and nights spent stargazing under a blanket. It's the perfect time of year to be outside. Not because we're trying to squeeze in one more big adventure, but because we know these beautiful fall evenings won't last forever.
My favorite fall evenings start out just warm enough to eat outside. There's usually something cooking on the grill and everyone gathers around for dinner while the last of the day's warmth is still hanging on. But before long, the temperature starts to drop. Sweatshirts come out, someone grabs a blanket, and no one seems quite ready to go inside.
I think that's one of the reasons gathering this time of year feels so easy. It doesn't have to be complicated. Put together a quick charcuterie board with some cheese, crackers, salami, nuts, and a favorite jam. Pick up a good loaf of bread and pour a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. The food doesn't need to be the event. It just gives everyone a reason to gather around the table and stay awhile.
And when dinner is over, light the fire and stay outside awhile. Everyone finds a comfortable spot and settles in as the stars begin to come out. The conversation seems to come a little easier around a fire. Someone adds another log, the evening gets a little colder, and before you know it, you've stayed outside much later than you planned.
Maybe that's one of the things I love most about fall. It seems to invite us to linger. The days are getting shorter, the evenings are getting cooler, and we know winter is coming. So we stay outside just a little longer and keep talking.
Sometimes the best gatherings are simply the ones no one is quite ready to leave.
— Suni
