audio version:
In New England, as we creep toward Fall Equinox, the temperature and energy have us believing that we are still playing in the summer months, but nature says otherwise. As the activity of summer softens to a simmer, I feel my spirit reaching for the comfort of fall. I yearn for the smell of campfires and contemplation, stews and warm drinks.
This is the time of year that calls us together. The days are getting shorter, and there’s something about the approaching autumn that makes us want to gather close, share stories, and be real with each other.
Picture us sitting around a campfire as evening settles in. We’re sisters, cousins, and friends who have carved out this time to connect, away from the noise and demands of daily life. The fire gives us something to focus on while we talk, its warmth drawing us into a circle where conversation flows more freely than it might over coffee or lunch.
Someone starts by sharing something that’s been weighing on her mind. Maybe it’s a relationship that’s complicated, a career decision she’s wrestling with, or a dream she’s been too afraid to voice. The firelight makes it easier somehow, the way it softens faces and creates this feeling that we’re in our own little world.
One by one, we each find ourselves opening up. There’s no pressure, no agenda. Just the space to say what’s really going on beneath the surface of our everyday conversations. We listen without trying to fix or judge, offering the kind of presence that feels rare these days.
As the fire burns down to glowing embers, we realize we’ve shared things we hadn’t planned to. The kind of honest conversation that usually only happens by accident, but that we created intentionally by simply showing up and being willing to go beyond small talk.
This is what the season seems to ask of us—to slow down enough to connect meaningfully, to create space for the deeper conversations that nourish us through the busy months ahead. When winter comes and life gets hectic again, we’ll remember this evening and the feeling of being truly seen and heard by people who matter.
There’s something powerful about women gathering this way, choosing honesty over politeness, depth over surface-level chat. It reminds us that we don’t have to navigate everything alone.
So here’s the invitation: as autumn settles in around us, consider creating your own version of this circle. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, a backyard fire pit, a living room with candles, or even a walk in the woods with a trusted friend. The magic isn’t in the setting; it’s in the intention to show up authentically.
This season is asking us to slow down and connect. Don’t let it pass by without accepting the invitation. Your authentic stories matter, and so does your willingness to hold space for others to share theirs.
The women in your life are waiting for someone to go first—let it be you.
