The cool air in the mornings of late has me beyond happy. Fall is my favorite season, though over the last few years, it has become shorter and shorter, so I’m reveling in every bit of it I can get.

That takes nothing away from other seasons and those of you who love them. Mother Nature in any form makes me happy.

But fall, with the crunch of leaves underfoot, the brilliant colors of the leaves, the smell of smoke in the air from the backyard firepits in the neighborhood, the need to pull on a soft sweater, the starlight that comes earlier and the mornings that start clear and crisp, it all warms my heart.

I know that spring is the rebirth, when earth starts again with the green and the growth, and I admit I need that. I need that reminder that all will be made new and fresh again.

But I have always loved the colors, the feel and the smells of autumn, and now that I’m a little older, it means that much more.

Because it’s later in life for me. I’m not a young’un anymore, not able to do all that I once could. My energy is lower, there are wrinkles in my skin, I need reading glasses, and I don’t always know all the current hip phrases or music. To teenagers I’m not just older, I’m full-on old.

Earth in the autumn is showing her age. Trees, plants, grass, all are beginning the end of a cycle. And yet they are incredibly beautiful and bring such joy. It’s reassuring to know the progression of years is not all bad. Like trees, there are many rings within this old soul, many places where life has marked me. They are part of what makes up the strong trunk that is my life, and in truth, I’ve come to appreciate the strong, solid core my experiences have built. If I lean a little these days, it’s only because I carry so many stories.

And I still have moments of childlike glee, including walking along and scuffing my feet through the piles of leaves. The sound and the feel is sheer happiness, even if it means I have to sweep, or rake, all over again.

The scent of woodsmoke and the laughter of friends and family sitting around the firepit with the cold at our backs is such a simple but pure pleasure.

The need to wrap myself in a long sweater against the chill when I dash out to feed the outdoor cats in the morning is a delicious wake up call.

The colors of the leaves on the trees in my historic neighborhood reminds me that even as these massive structures age, as their bark wrinkles and they grow weary, they are still strikingly beautiful.

Standing outside at night, as the light fades earlier and earlier and the stars can be seen sooner and sooner, I am once again aware of the nearly undefinable size and longevity of the universe.

Autumn encourages me to slow down a little, to enjoy the moments as they come, and to be grateful for each one. Spring and summer send me into full energy mode, but as they wane, I am tired. Fall gives me permission to slow down, to breathe more deeply and to refrain from rushing about.

We’ll likely have a bit of Indian summer still, and that’s OK. We’re on the cusp of fall. I know she’ll soon be here in full, and I intend to absorb every moment of her shorter and shorter season.

I hope you will, too. Meet me outside, at the park, in the backyard, even just step outside work for 10 minutes and look around. Feel the cool, take in the colors and remember that getting older has gifts of its own, with a different kind of beauty.

Elisabeth Strillacci covers crime, courts, Spencer, East Spencer and Kannapolis for the Salisbury Post.