Creature Feature – Restless

“There’s a kind of a restless yearning and it catches you off guard, as we gaze off in the distance through the trees in my backyard. I can feel the restless yearning of those geese as off they roam, then trade that for a warm bed in a place I can call home.” —Gordon Lightfoot

These lyrics, from Lightfoot’s haunting song “Restless,” likely speak to many who feel an inexplicable restlessness as Autumn settles in. Some folks get the urge to cook and bake, while others throw themselves into festive decorating. Hunting season for deer and waterfowl begins, and there are the usual chores to tackle, such as putting the garden to rest for the year; harvesting, jarring and canning; raking leaves; stacking firewood; and cleaning the chimney. Despite all this seasonal busyness, some of us feel a little melancholy — because despite anticipating Autumn’s splendor, we also experience bittersweet pangs knowing Summer is over. 

Perhaps the unsettled yearning we experience each Fall harkens back to a primitive fabric woven into our humanity during a time when people had to follow migrating wildlife, gather and store food, and prepare for the long Winter ahead. I find this thought comforting; for as we watch squirrels racing to cache nuts or hear the urgent cries of southbound geese high overhead, we can embrace the restlessness that stirs deep within us, knowing we’re a part of something timeless.

Article & photo by Margie Manthey