There’s a house near town that has the most amazing grape vine draping over its fence.  And every single time I drive by, I get the sudden urge to pull over and take a picture.  The foliage slowly turned from lush green to shades of golden corn, honey Dijon and chartreuse.  Little specks of brown have formed delicate patterns on each leaf and the entire plant is singing with perfection.

Yesterday I drove by the adorned fence once more, but I was instantly saddened by the realization that the lushness has dissipated.  It was no long full and vibrant but rather preparing itself for the long winter months ahead.  Only a few speckled leaves clung to their woody stems, the rest littered the ground beneath.   I had missed my chance to stop and take a picture and now I would have to wait another year entirely for this phenomena to take place again.

Fall is fading away all too quickly.

I know this isn’t a new message, but it’s once that’s constantly on my heart.  Beauty if fleeting.  Life as we know it right now in this exact moment will never be exactly like this again.  A couple weeks ago our pastor stood up on stage and shared how silly he thinks it is to buy someone flowers – even his wife – they’re just going to die.  But as morbid as it is to think about, his wife is going to die someday too.  That doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t love her while she’s here.  It just means that we should treasure every moment of their life without reserve.  In the same way, we should treasure every leaf, every blossom and each delicate stem while it is able to grace us with its presence.  Winter is going to be here all too soon and while there will certainly be days of glittering snowflakes and blankets of white, there will also be gloomy grey skies, bitter winds and days not fit for man or beast.

Photography: Kelly Sweet Photography

I’ve had a couple of goals on my mind for this autumn season and this is just the reminder I needed to push myself forward and not take this time for granted.

The above photo was the setting for Tim & Christina’s first look, a most gorgeous autumn wedding in Northport, Michigan.  You can see the entire day here.