Cool weather brings back warm memories

“I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And

when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift."  – Dodinsky

It was a long, hot summer. Even more reason to revel in the early weeks of autumn. As a child, fall consisted of new school clothes, raking leaves, cozy flannels, pumpkin picking and looking forward to celebrations. Thinking back, I can almost smell the leather of a new, red school bag and shiny patent leather shoes.

I long for the cold weather. My mind is sharper, my energy level higher, and I just feel more positive. Autumn has much less stress when we’re not as worried about our body images (a big, bulky sweater hides everything), social situations (fewer get-togethers), and our electric bills being out of control from air conditioning.

When my kids were young, we had a neighborhood Halloween party at our home in Middle Island. My kids still refer to that party as legendary. Bobbing for apples, a piñata, playing games, warm apple cider, and lots of laughter. The perfect combination for creating wonderful memories.

My kids will probably be embarrassed when I say this, but they trick-or-treated until they were around 20 years old. Just like when they were younger, they would come home with friends to sort and swap candy. Of course, there was so much candy that by Thanksgiving, we still had congealed Gummi Bears in candy dishes.

We always dedicated time on a Saturday or Sunday for going to the farms — Harbes in Mattituck, Stakey’s in Aquebogue, Finks Country and Bakewicz, both in Wading River. We would collect pumpkins, decorate the house, and prepare Halloween costumes. When my children were young, you could go to one of the East End farms and pay $20 for all the pumpkins a family could carry. These days, if you’re heading east for pumpkins or mums, you have to be on Sound Avenue or Route 25 by 9:30 a.m. unless you want to sit in traffic worse than the Cross Bronx Expressway.

As the kids got older, we started a tradition of going to Jones Beach before the start of school. As a fair-skinned, freckled person, I was drawn to the beach during the fall and winter. We would head down to the West Bathhouse, get ice cream, walk along the boardwalk, play shuffleboard and talk about the upcoming school year.

For many of us, fall brings with it nostalgia. It is a time of year when we reflect on friends, family, the upcoming holidays, our homes, and thankfulness. Thankfulness is something that we all need to practice this year more than ever.

As I am on the exit ramp of life, I now relive those memories often. I have grandchildren with whom to create new memories and pass on traditions. Somehow, it is different, but I cherish it more than ever knowing that there will not be an infinite number of falls left.

Psychologists have found that when people are holding a hot beverage, they are more likely to see others in a better light, and they feel happier. So, I suggest heading out early to a farm that has pumpkins, mums, hot cider and a warm fire pit where you can take time to sit back, appreciate fall and celebrate life.

Reader Margaret Malloy lives in Middle Island.