Tiffany Painter

I think everyone can agree there is a change in the air, especially on those morning walks. Being able to enjoy the fall weather is new for me. I was a teacher for many years and only recently left the classroom. Fall was a busy time of year. I had not planned on leaving a profession I had loved with my whole heart, but a lot of things had changed. The profession itself had become more negative and I was spending a lot of time not actually teaching my students. My family had changed as well with aging parents, a husband who needed to go back to the office, kids who needed help now and again navigating their transition into adulthood, and a dog who needed a lot of attention. Accepting all of these changes was hard and took a lot of soul searching. Most days I am happy with my choice to leave teaching so I can be available for my family, but I won’t lie, when I hear of an opening at a school, I still consider it. But one look at my beloved dog, and I know I am where I am supposed to be. I have been given this gift of time. Time to be there for others, time to experience peace, and time to appreciate the world around me. It is with that mindset I am learning to accept this change.

10/1

through the field goal posts
full moon scores early today
fall signs all around

10/2

new colors emerge
fall leaves playing peek-a-boo
welcoming the change

10/3

gift from above caught
perfectly fallen feather
cradled on the branch

10/4

fallen leaves blowing
tumbling across the sidewalk
running after me

10/5

cover blown away
green leaves for hiding absent
height all that remains

10/6

life and art collide
mountains jumping off canvas
vision to behold

10/7

lookup from walking
take a moment to breath in
nature’s offering