I can’t be the only person who responds favorably to the Autumn time change . I love morning light, and being enveloped by the early darkness elicits memories of being home with Betsy when she was very small. We would close the drapes, put a fire in the fireplace and settle on the couch, and I would read to her. Maybe the early darkness led to the fact that she read at age of three.

This is not a memory embellished by the passage of years. She really did read at that age. I vividly remember the day in the children’s library when she chose a book that we had never seen before and read it to me. It wasn’t one of our books that she had simply committed to memory; she was on her own. A magical memory; a memorable day. Could well be why the early darkness is a time to cherish rather than a time to dread.

I had another experience yesterday that will have a fixed spot in the memory bank. I watched my grandson ride his bike without training wheels. There was something thrilling about watching that little guy achieve a sense of balance and timing that allowed him the freedom to be on his own.

The training wheels came off for the first time last weekend. Betsy, Chris and Lauren cheered him on to a successful start. I had the good fortune to be with Betsy and Michael yesterday morning when he became one with the bike. Watching him ride on the bike path with confidence and ease was a pivotal moment. There were certainly feelings of pride and excitement, but also a strong sense that our precious little boy had hopped on that bike and left the baby years behind.