Autumn teaches us…

Recently, Alex posted an article about possible Autumn Activities, and it reminded me of an old piece I once wrote but never published here. I think it perfectly fits the autumn mood. After all, autumn is the most magical season for me, though I love summer too.

September first has always felt symbolic to me. Where I grew up, everyone started school on that very day. It’s not just the start of the school year, but a reminder that autumn itself is the season of learning. For much of my life, it marked the rhythm of new beginnings, not only for me but for society as a whole. Autumn gives us more time for study and self-improvement. The cool air, the rainy days, the falling leaves — all of it creates that thoughtful, almost philosophical mood that makes us turn inward and seek knowledge.

I feel that autumn is the only season that truly teaches.

As Elchin Safarli once wrote, “There are no memories without you.” Autumn always arrives with a sense of renewal. The leaves turn yellow and fall silently, like the pages of a calendar flipping forward, reminding me it’s time to return to books, to fresh ideas, to the endless questions of “why.” Historically, too, autumn has been the moment when fieldwork ended and people could focus on learning. The season has always provided the perfect conditions for knowledge — calm, cool days that invite reflection and growth.

Autumn carries a deep symbolism. Nature slows down in preparation for winter, and in that quiet we discover space for inner work. The rustling leaves remind me of turning pages, the chilly mornings whisper that the mind needs nourishment as much as the body. Autumn pulls me gently toward wisdom, toward self-care, toward meaning.

Maybe that’s why I always feel it as a season of new starts. It is when the spirit searches for wisdom, when the heart longs for deeper sense. Each year I come back to learning because I understand more clearly than ever: knowledge is warmth, the kind that will carry me through any winter. Learning, in any form, is like a lifeline — it protects me, grounds me, and supports my mental well-being.

But “autumn learning” isn’t just about schools, courses, or language classes. It’s about the knowledge that no formal system can teach — about life, about meaning, about what truly matters.

So, autumn teaches us…

• value warmth
• share warmth
• accept change
• embrace the inevitable
• adapt
• treasure small moments
• create comfort
• slow down
• care for myself
• protect myself
• think of the future
• let go of the past
• release the unnecessary (like trees shedding leaves)
• transform
• blend colors and moods
• choose bright colors.

“Autumn learning” is about attentiveness, curiosity, and gratitude. It’s about savoring every moment life gives, instead of dismissing “rainy days” as wasted time. The lessons of autumn repeat each year because they are essential — and because in the rush of daily life, we tend to forget them.

But every autumn, with its new colors, new weather patterns, and new moods, nature returns to remind me again — gently but persistently — that it still has much to teach.