Autumn: The Season of Letting Go

Every fall in Wisconsin's nature puts on a breathtaking display. Leaves change from green to brilliant golds, reds, and oranges—and then, just as suddenly, they release their leaves. 

They don’t cling. They don’t resist. They just let go. Autumn reminds us that letting go is not about loss, but about making room. Trees shed what they no longer need so they can conserve energy, survive winter, and prepare for new growth come spring. 

What if we approached our own seasons of life the same way?

For women in midlife, letting go is rarely easy. We’ve spent our lives building our identities around being caregivers, leaders, professionals, or partners. And when those roles shift—or when life delivers painful change—it can feel like pieces of us have died, leaving us confused and anxious about our future. 

We hold on tightly to expectations of who we were supposed to be; to regrets of what we should have done differently; and to pain we wish we could rewrite.

But holding on weighs us down. Just like a tree can’t carry last year’s leaves into spring, if we want to thrive, we can’t carry old pain or outdated roles into our next chapter.

Autumn reminds us to pause and ask: What no longer serves me? 

It might be certain beliefs -  like the belief that your best years are behind you. Or it can be fears that you’ve been holding onto like the fear of putting yourself out there after a failure or change. It might be the guilt of saying “no” to things that drain you or the pressure to be everything for everyone.

Releasing doesn’t mean those things never mattered. It means you trust yourself enough to set them down.

Letting go doesn’t always mean deep emotional shifts—it can show up in practical, everyday ways too. Maybe it’s time to release traditions that no longer bring you joy or ones you just don’t want to do anymore.

• Holiday expectations – Perhaps you once decorated the entire house top to bottom, but now it feels exhausting instead of fun. It’s okay to scale back. Choose the traditions that make your heart happy and let the rest go.

• Physical clutter – Closets full of clothes you don’t wear, shelves crowded with “someday” items, and spaces filled with things that no longer fit your life can quietly drain your energy. Clearing them creates freedom.

• Unspoken obligations – The activities you keep doing out of habit or guilt instead of desire. Give yourself permission to step away.
  

Each release creates more space—physically and emotionally—for what truly matters now. When trees drop their leaves, they create space for new growth. When you drop what no longer serves you, you create space for new relationships, new goals, new dreams.

Imagine walking into the second act of your life, no longer carrying old baggage and having the freedom to say yes to what truly excites you and the confidence to design life on your terms. That’s the gift autumn offers us every year—the reminder that beauty comes not only from what we hold on to, but also from what we release.

Autumn is not an ending—it’s preparation. By letting go of what no longer serves you—whether old beliefs, painful memories, draining traditions, or physical clutter—you’re not losing. You’re clearing the way for growth, joy, and purpose in the next season of your life.

So as the leaves fall around you, ask yourself: What am I ready to release? And then, like the trees, trust the process. Your spring will come.