September 23, 2025
Autumn is the season of transitions, trees shed their leaves in bursts of color, the air cools, and suddenly we crave foods that feel like a hug in a bowl. In today’s Thought of the Day and Question of the Day, we’re looking at both sides of this seasonal coin: beauty in aging and the tastes that mark the arrival of fall.
Thought of the Day: How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days. — John Burroughs
John Burroughs captures something that makes autumn feel so poignant: the way endings can also be beginnings, the way decline can glow brighter than growth. Leaves don’t go quietly; they put on a show.
There’s a lesson in that for the rest of us. Growing old, whether we’re talking about people, ideas, or even habits, isn’t necessarily about fading away. It can be about transformation, illumination, and even celebration.
I think about my own life in this light. The golf clubs in storage might be “growing old,” collecting dust instead of birdies. But that doesn’t mean their time is wasted. They’re reminders of different seasons of my life, like leaves still clinging to the tree, colorful in their own right.
If we reframe how we look at aging, decline doesn’t have to be a loss. Instead, it’s a chance to appreciate beauty we may have overlooked in the rush of spring and summer. Much like I wrote in “There’s never, ever been any such thing as bad news”, perspective changes everything.
Question of the Day: What food or drink instantly makes you think of Autumn?
For me, it’s a hearty bowl of beef stew. Not the quick, thirty-minute kind either, the slow-simmered, all-day version that makes your whole house smell like comfort and warmth. The kind where the broth thickens, the carrots soften, and the beef practically melts with every bite.
It’s more than food, it’s a signal to my brain that the seasons have turned. Some people taste autumn in a pumpkin spice latte. Others in apple cider doughnuts. For me, it’s ladling stew into a big bowl, grabbing some crusty bread, and feeling my body thaw from the inside out.
Food has a way of becoming seasonal shorthand. Just like we smell sunscreen and think of summer, or taste candy canes and think of winter, autumn comes alive in our mouths. What’s yours? Is it chili at the first tailgate of the year? A mug of mulled wine? Or maybe, like me, something so simple and grounding it makes you feel both nostalgic and at home.
The things that trigger our sense of season often connect to family, traditions, or even small routines. I remember writing about the smell that instantly takes me back to childhood, and food works in the same way. It’s not just taste, it’s memory, story, and belonging.
That’s the gift of combining a Thought of the Day and Question of the Day—seeing the season through both reflection and memory. Autumn reminds us that endings can be beautiful, and comfort can be as close as the food on our table.
I’d love to hear your answer: What food or drink instantly makes you think of Autumn? Share it in the comments below, or better yet, join the daily email where I bring these questions and thoughts straight to your inbox.
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