Welcome. In case you’re new here, I’m Caitlin, a writer of all sorts of things—fiction, life, the occasional poem—but often here on The Time Given I share how I’m spending my days amidst grief, infertility, and midlife. Sometimes it’s slow stories inspired by my daily life, other times it’s prayers & poetry. Lately, it hasn’t been a lot of any of those things. But today I’m sharing about the things that are keeping me going in this season. Thank you for reading along.
Hello friends.
Las tweek I woke up to a crisp, autumn chill and want nothing more than to hold onto it. I clicked our heat on low for the first time, pulled out the mobile radiator, and stacked up firewood for the first hearth fire.
Autumn has long been my favorite season and one blessing of spending much of my life in the midwest. The change of seasons, particularly in fall, awakens something new in life.
F. Scott Fitzgerald is often quoted as saying “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” Just scroll Instagram these days and you’re bound to find a fancy little doodle of the quote.1 He did, in fact, write this in The Great Gatsby, but the line comes from the character Jordan Baker during a conversation with Daisy Buchanan. Daisy, in her spoiled, melancholic way, is complaining about the mundane of life as well as the constant misery she deals with (insert eye roll.) But Jordan offers a better perspective: life is renewed with the seasons.
While I dislike both of these characters, tremendously, I think Jordan has a point—one that I’m trying to lean into this autumn.
The last time I shared a What’s Saving My Life post, I mentioned it was a way to combat my seasonal affective disorder by looking for the good things. After all,
talks of this practice as a way to reflect and take note of the good and the joy in your life, something that can be so hard to do at times, particularly now.I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling weary. It’s a heavy political season. The weather disasters have been gut-wrenching. Wars still abound.
On top of the world things I feel, my work life has been rocky, and I’m feeling discouraged in my dreams. All things that can, when added to the shifting season, make for a more melancholic vibe.
And since I have no desire to live like Daisy Buchanan,2 I know I need to look for the good.
The small. The glimmers.
The things that are there, present every day if I only choose to see them
So welcome to Autumn's What’s Saving My Life. The chance for a crisp renewal.
What’s renewing you in this season friend?
Flash Fiction Magic
It feels like fate having stumbled upon #flashfictionmagic on Instagram near the end of summer especially seeing as how I haven’t touched my fiction in quite some time. And yet. The ritual of writing a small story for the last few weeks has been life-giving. Is anyone reading them? I think so. But what matters more is that I’m pursuing stories again and finding joy in writing. Do I dream of submitting these stories somewhere? Yes, maybe someday.3 But for now—this season—these stories belong to me, and that is enough.
Seasonal decorations
Spooky season has brought out my ghoulish side! And by that I mean our house is adorned with cute little ghosts and jack-o-lanterns, and simply decorating for the season has helped me feel more cozy. I’m currently in love with some black, beeswax taper candles I have on our mantle and table, and this linen tablecloth. I’ve never been a tablecloth person before, but I bought a green one last year for our Hobbit party and forgot how much I enjoyed the look of it until I got it out again this year. So, I bought a black one for Halloween and now I’m thinking I need it in other seasonal colors for the cozy atmosphere it brings.
The Hocus Pocus LEGO set
I’m sure that LEGO will be something that saves my life in every season, but as I find myself leaning into fall and the spooky, I am loving building the Hocus Pocus set. It’s been a little nightly routine these last few weeks, sitting down at the table after dinner and opening a bag of bricks, then clicking them into place. It’s a nostalgic set for sure as Hocus Pocus is one of my favorite Halloween movies, but also the attention to detail makes me think a lot about the power of story. I feel as if I’m in the story world as I build the little bricks, but the fact that so much of the story comes alive as I progress helps me think about my own stories and how I want my readers to feel as they’re moving through my words. Plus it doubles as a fantastic decoration.
Agatha All Along
Disney/Marvel’s newest show is the chef’s kiss this season. I don’t do a lot of horror/scary movies because I simply can’t handle it in my imagination, and while at times there are some creepy moments in Agatha, I love this witchy show. I was a huge fan of Wandavision both in characters and premise, and this is just a fun extension of it. Plus Agatha is a fascinating character, so I’m enjoying learning more about her backstory. And I just love all things witchy.
Pumpkin everything
Especially the Pumpkin Pie breakfast smoothie4 I make every morning. Honestly, it’s something I look forward to from the minute I wake up. It’s healthy and filling, and even though it’s cold, warms my heart to the season. I also made this pumpkin lasagna last week which was heavenly. I was unsure about the spice mix, but it’s the perfect blend with ricotta, and I’ve been eating it for lunch for two weeks. Try it. You won’t regret it.
Pilates
I have been a yoga girl for years. Y E A R S. But, this summer I went to the doctor for some chronic back pain that nothing I had been doing health-wise was helping. It turns out I have spondylolisthesis in my lower lumbar, which just means one of my vertebrae has slipped forward. It’s a combo of degeneration and wear and tear, as well as possibly a stress fracture in my lumbar spine. Enter physical therapy which has been miraculous, but also Pilates. I’ve been practicing it for several weeks now and it’s been great for not just my spine health, but core and mental relaxation. While I still love yoga, I’ve just had to adjust my practice, and the addition of Pilates has been refreshing. I’ve been using Lindywell and I can’t say enough good things about the practices they offer but also the encouragement. It’s a grace over guilt mentalilty which is something I desperately need in my wellness practice.
Atmospheric stories
I’ve felt like I’ve been in a reading slump all year, but right now I am really enjoying super atmospheric stories. I’m reading the Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young (adult magical realism) and Ravenfall by Kayln Josephson (middle grade.) Both take place in these spooky-ish magical settings that are characters themselves. But the setting also plays into the atmosphere of the novels, both of which feel so much like fall to me. It’s so hard to put them down, and I’d rather be curled up by the hearth fire, lost in these stories all day!
These are a just a smattering of things saving my life this autumn, as I lean into the practice of noticing the joy. Will you join me in this practice? Where has autumn been good to you so far? What has brought you joy or rest or warmth? Share what’s saving your life in the comments!
I’m Caitlin, a writer, hobbyist, and creative who believes in the power of story, and that things like nature, wonder, faith, grief, hope, and art are worth our time and attention. I write stories for young readers centered around the themes of grief, belonging, loss, hope, and found families, while also exploring them in my own life, here on The Time Given. My writing here will always be free to read, but it does take time and heart space to write. Please consider supporting the work I do by giving a one-time or monthly donation, or by subscribing to my weekly writing.
There is no judging here. I just bought this bookish shirt with the quote printed across the back.
IFKYK
I’m actively looking so if you have any suggestions for journals/contests/places to submit, I’m all ears! Flash fiction is a new world for me, one that I’m excited to be learning about.
My recipe is very similar to this. but I use a regular banana, not frozen because hello chilly mornings. I also prefer almond butter and plain Greek yogurt, then I add vanilla protein powder to make it a full breakfast!