Remembering the Comforts of Constants

All around me I see and feel change – the world I live in is evolving and transforming

I stop to observe life. In doings so I am reminded of the comforts of constants.

As I have done for years each fall in New Hampshire

I go outside to feel the sun warming my skin,

I hear the wind rustling in the leaves,

I see the New England foliage.

In the changing seasons I am aware of the constants of life.

The sky is the clearest of blues,

A southern shadow grows wider across the browning fields

Leaves drift slowly from the maple- mostly bold, red, yellow and orange

Some the color of dirt - drying out and falling in preparation for darkness

The barren branches give way to vistas of winter

Hydrangeas hold their beauty, despite the nightly dips in temperature

Bumble bees buzzing bring life to the remaining corners of sun in the garden

Apple blossoms long gone burst into bright red balls of juicy fruit

The last tomato ripens on the vine and pumpkins wander aimlessly across the field

A few remaining berries outlast the pickers and corn husks reach for the stars.

Home is where I work, live and play – a constant I never anticipated

My space is smaller, my human interactions fewer,

This change prompts a look inward, to again find many constants

My family is healthy,

My heart beats steady,

My breadth is rhythmic,

My skin still aging,

I am comforted to see that I also am a constant

For now,

As that too will change.

Catherine Florio Pipas, MD, MPH

September 2020