September

I wonder whether you can feel it too; something different in the air. The temperatures are cooler, the days are shorter, and there’s a new crispness to the mornings. Summer is slowly drawing to a close, and a new season begins to creep in. It’s September, the month of return. Schools reopen, universities and colleges welcome back students, and we find ourselves settling back into routine after a long-awaited break.

When we observe nature, we begin to see how everything moves in cycles, all by Allah’s will. Summer brought us long, sunny days, blue skies, and the bloom of flowers and plants. But now, as autumn approaches, the leaves begin to fall. The air carries a different energy. And when we pay close attention, we realise: we too are part of this natural rhythm.

Our bodies have their own patterns and seasons. Whether it’s the circadian rhythm that governs our daily energy, or the infradian rhythm many women experience monthly, we are constantly shifting. Just like nature, we have moments of growth, and moments of stillness. Seasons where we blossom, and seasons where we need to let go, to shed the weight we’ve been carrying, just as the trees let go of their leaves.

To go through change is part of our fitrah; our God-given nature.

So this September, let’s welcome the change. Let’s reflect on what needs renewing in our lives. For some, this might be the time to set new goals, a time to invest in our health, nurture our relationships, realign our careers, or reconnect with our deen.

We may not greet September with the same excitement as July or August, but change has its own kind of beauty.

And maybe, that’s something to be excited about too.