CONNIE Christopher radiates a wisdom rooted in her decades of owning and managing a Virginia equestrian facility with her family.

To speak with her is to engage with a resilient woman who has faithfully committed her life and talents to delivering joy to countless young people, their families, and the horses.

As the summer wanes, Connie eyes with a mix of emotions her plan for the final days of this treasured place.

A transition awaits the green pasture, the worn facilities, the handsome horses, and a stalwart woman who prepares to ride towards something new.

The end of summer and transitioning to a new autumn season is typically surrounded by a fresh air of excitement that rolls in with new possibilities.

The leaves shift from the tint of a glorious green to the hue of that splendour of rich colours.

Like stanzas of a poem, the contrasting seasons feed off the beauty of their individual lines.

It is not always an easy adjustment from summer to autumn.

We may face anxiety or even experience fear of the unknown.

For some, change and letting go of precious time with friends and family

can also be accompanied by a form of grief.

Tears can often moisten the page of this human poem of seasonal transition.

As we ride into new seasonal pastures, it is important to remember that we are the ones to affix the bridle, jump up into the saddle, place our boots in the stirrup, and hold the reins.

Our attitude is what we steer and we can determine how we react to and navigate the terrain of time before us.

When we remember that feeling of individual empowerment, we can feel more liberated from those things which hold us back or weigh us down.

Remember also as we transition across the days that we are never alone.

As we move through our personal and professional lives, we share a connection and bond as human beings – whatever the season.

The Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke once wrote, “I hold this to be the highest task of a bond between two people: that each should stand guard over the solitude of the other.”

I am fortunate, indeed, to have had many people in my life who have stood guard over me in times when the storms of incredulity rolled in.

I still have guards like that with me.

I am sure you can empathise with having individuals in your life who have and are looking out for you.

I wish you and me could meet and discuss the paths that we are moving through.

I have no doubt we would find much in common and come away from that conversation feeling reassured by our friendship.

As we move into the fresh period of curtailing light and dipping temperatures, consider how we can extend light and increase warmth through our kind acts of encouragement.

One never knows whether this is our last autumn or if a friend, colleague, or family member may not be with us to witness it again.

We hold the reins – steer the attitude we ride into the season.

I say we breathe the season in, cherish it, thoughtfully gallop into the moment considering that we have been gifted another.

Ian M Houston is a regular writer for The Herald. He has spent his career as an advocate for diplomacy, trade, poverty alleviation, and intercultural dialogue. He promotes commercial, educational, artistic, and charitable linkages between Scotland, UK, and the US. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of the West of Scotland and is located in the Washington, DC area. His views are his own.