Autumn, and What We Glean

I don't know about you, but I love autumn. Yesterday was the equinox, when daytime and nighttime were equals. Today, I look out my window and suddenly notice that the leaves on the pin oaks are tinged reddish brown. The pagans call the first day of fall Mabon, a balance between light and darkness in our lives; a time of reflecting on what has come to fruition, and of gratitude for our harvests.

One thing I like about being over fifty is that I have finally developed a sense of peacefulness centered in the acceptance that there are times in our lives when light rules and everything is pleasant as a summer's day. And that there are also times when things are dark and cold and even scary. The cold and dark can have a quiet beauty -- like the way I miss my mother's illness, and the special weeks we shared while she was dying. I came to appreciate more about her at that time than I had when she was hale and hearty. The cold and dark always give way to new beginnings. Things that you have planted spring up, and wildflowers bring unexpected beauty. It's the wheel of the year, the circle of life that over the years has brought a certain stability to my being. Bad times will pass, and I just don't get as wound up about things as I did when I was younger. I've come to trust myself. Whatever comes at me I will handle with the same strength and intelligence and good humor that I used to get this far. 

The bowl pictured above is one of 26 scenes from Royal Doulton's Gleaners and Gipsies Series (1909 - 1940). It's one of those finds that caught my eye and I bought even though it didn't quite fit with anything else I'd gleaned from the antique shops over the years. I love the rich colors, how the leaves on the branches along the rim are turning, and the field is ready for harvest. The people are not looking at us, they are busy, they've got lives to live. The light is giving way to darkness, summer is at an end. But they'll be fine. They have strength and beauty.

I think this series may be based on the 1857 oil painting Gleaners by Jean-Francois Millet. Three peasant women are picking the spoils of the harvest, while in the background bountiful amounts of wheat are being stacked by the landowner. This painting was not well received by the French upper classes at the time, seen as sending a socialist message. The message must have come into vogue around the turn of the century for Royal Doulton to have based a dinnerwear series on the concept. I find it an odd pattern for dishes, but I see great beauty in the strength and resourcefulness of these women. May we all glean strength from one another, and always find what we need when we need it.