Like these Pumpkins, we are all in this together
Don’t you just love this fall weather?
It’s truly my favorite time of year. There’s something magical about the crispness in the air, the brilliant colors painting the trees, the deep blue skies, and those wonderfully comfortable temperatures without a hint of summer humidity. For me, it’s hard to imagine anything more beautiful. I hope wherever you are, you’re finding little moments to step outside, take a deep breath, and appreciate the beauty unfolding around you.
Sometimes, nature has a way of reminding us what we need to remember in our own lives.
This month, my little dog Chester and I traveled to Alabama, a state that had never been on my bucket list. But my goddaughter went to college there, met a boy, and, well… the rest is history! We found ourselves flying south for her wedding, right in the middle of a hurricane.
Needless to say, our plans for a little side trip to the Gulf Coast had to change. But once the storm passed, we made the most of our time in central Alabama. We explored a bamboo forest, wandered through the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and found dog-friendly restaurants where Chester could join the fun. The wedding was beautiful, and when the skies finally cleared, we were treated to some lovely weather.
It was a wonderful reminder that even when things don't go according to plan, there is still beauty to be found if we're willing to look for it.
And that got me thinking about the storms we experience in our own lives.
We All Have Our Seasons
You may have noticed that I haven't been writing as often as I'd like over the past few years. The truth is, I've been navigating some significant storms of my own.
An arduous divorce, the loss of both of my brothers—my last remaining family members—and some difficult health and personal challenges have taken more of my time, energy, and heart than I ever imagined. There have been moments when simply putting one foot in front of the other has been an accomplishment.
I share this not to dwell on the difficult times, but because I know I'm not alone in experiencing them. Perhaps you've weathered a divorce, lost someone you love, struggled with your health, worried about your future, or found yourself facing a life you never expected to have.
Sometimes, the storms arrive one at a time. Other times, they seem to gather on the horizon and hit us all at once.
As a spiritual person, I've often contemplated why we experience these difficult chapters. I believe our souls come here to learn, grow, love, and evolve through the human experience. Some of us understand that through the lens of soul contracts and the lessons we believe we came here to explore. Others find meaning in different ways.
Whatever our beliefs, I think we can agree on one thing: knowing that life has a spiritual dimension doesn't make the human experience any less real—or the pain any less painful.
And that is something I've learned in a very personal way.
Being Spiritual Doesn't Mean We Stop Being Human
Many of you know that, in addition to my work with sound therapy and tuning forks, I'm also a psychic-medium. I've had experiences connecting with the other side, as well as near-death and out-of-body experiences that have profoundly influenced my understanding of life and consciousness.
These experiences have given me a deep appreciation for the possibility that there is so much more to our existence than what we see and touch here on Earth.
And yet, sometimes that very awareness can make being here feel challenging. When you've glimpsed something you perceive as beautiful and expansive beyond this physical world, the struggles, limitations, and heartaches of earthly life can feel especially heavy.
But I keep coming back to a simple teaching associated with Ram Dass:
“Be Here Now.”
Be here. In this body. In this life. In this moment.
We didn't come here simply to float above the human experience, waiting to return to the other side. We came here to live, to love, to learn, to make a difference, and to experience the full spectrum of what it means to be human.
That means showing up—not just when life is beautiful and easy, but when it's messy, painful, inconvenient, and uncertain.
It means caring about what happens in the world around us. It means taking action on the things that matter to us. And perhaps most importantly, it means learning to show up for one another.
Because spirituality isn't just what we meditate on, the frequencies we work with, the prayers we say, or the light we believe we carry.
Sometimes, the most spiritual thing we can do is help another human being carry a burden that has become too heavy for them to bear alone.
When “Love and Light” Isn't Enough
One of the hardest lessons I've learned during my own difficult years has been about the difference between offering genuine compassion and simply offering comforting words.
When I was struggling, I heard things like, “Just think positive!” or “Love and light!” more times than I can count.
I'm sure many of the people who said these things meant well. Perhaps they genuinely believed they were helping. But when your world feels as though it's falling apart, being told to think positively can leave you feeling even more alone.
What I needed wasn't someone to remind me to look on the bright side. I needed someone willing to acknowledge that my life was difficult, listen without judgment, and perhaps ask what they could do to help.
I needed compassion, not correction.
There's a term for one version of this response: spiritual bypassing. It describes using spiritual beliefs, positive thinking, or spiritual practices to avoid facing painful emotions, difficult realities, or the hard work of healing.
Of course, positive thinking, prayer, meditation, and spiritual practices can be wonderful sources of strength. I believe deeply in the power of sound, intention, and nurturing our inner lives. But these practices should help us meet life's challenges—not pressure us to pretend those challenges don't exist.
We can hold hope and acknowledge heartbreak at the same time. We can believe in the light and still admit that we're going through darkness.
We don't have to choose between being spiritual and being honest about our pain.
And we certainly don't need to put a cheerful spiritual bow on someone else's suffering.
What If We Actually Helped One Another?
There's a familiar saying about walking a mile in another person's moccasins before judging their experience. Its message is simple: we cannot fully understand another person's journey unless we're willing to approach it with humility and empathy.
We may not know what someone is carrying. The cheerful neighbor who waves from across the street may be grieving. The friend who has stopped returning calls may be overwhelmed. The person who seems irritable or withdrawn may be struggling with something they don't yet know how to put into words.
We don't need to know every detail of someone's story to offer kindness.
And we don't have to solve all their problems to make a difference.
Sometimes, genuine compassion looks like this:
Instead of saying, “Let me know if you need anything,” ask, “What's one thing I could do this week that would make life a little easier for you?”
Instead of offering advice right away, listen. Let someone tell their story without rushing to fix it.
Instead of telling someone everything happens for a reason, acknowledge that what they're going through is painful.
Instead of expecting someone to be strong all the time, give them permission to be tired, frightened, sad, or uncertain.
And when you can, take action. Bring a meal. Make a phone call. Offer a ride. Help with an errand. Sit quietly with someone who doesn't need words.
These may seem like small things, but when someone is weathering a storm, small acts of kindness can become lifelines.
True love isn't always a grand gesture. Sometimes, it's simply being the person who shows up.
We Were Never Meant to Weather Every Storm Alone
As the world around us becomes increasingly complicated and uncertain, I find myself thinking about the wisdom shared by so many spiritual teachers and traditions throughout history. From Jesus' teaching to love our neighbors as ourselves to the many traditions that emphasize generosity, compassion, and service, we are repeatedly reminded that how we treat one another matters.
We can disagree about religion, politics, philosophy, or what happens after we die. We can have different beliefs about why we're here and what our souls are meant to learn.
But surely we can agree that suffering is hard enough without adding judgment, indifference, or unnecessary cruelty to it.
Our communities become stronger when we look out for one another. Our families become healthier when we listen. Our friendships deepen when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable. And our own lives become richer when we discover that helping someone else can be just as healing as receiving help ourselves.
We don't have to wait for the world to change before we begin doing things differently. We can start with the person standing in front of us.
A little more patience. A little less judgment. A little more listening. A little less assuming we know what someone else needs.
And a lot more love that shows up in action.
As Autumn Gives Way to Winter…
One of the things I love about the changing seasons is that nature never asks us to remain the same.
The trees release their leaves. The days grow shorter. The landscape slowly changes, preparing for a quieter season of rest and renewal.
There is beauty in that process, too.
As autumn begins to fade and winter approaches, perhaps we can take a little time to reflect on the seasons of our own lives. What have we been holding onto that we're ready to release? What have our difficult experiences taught us? Where might we need to offer ourselves a little more compassion? And who in our lives might need us to show up for them?
We cannot control every storm that comes our way. We cannot prevent every loss, change every outcome, or protect the people we love from every hardship.
But we can choose how we meet those storms—and how we treat the people weathering them alongside us.
So, as you enjoy these beautiful autumn days, I hope you'll take a moment to appreciate the changing leaves, breathe in that crisp air, and remember that every season has something to teach us.
And if someone in your life is going through a difficult season, perhaps reach out. Not with an expectation that you can fix everything, but with an open heart and a willingness to listen.
You never know how much that simple gesture might mean.
May we all learn to be a little gentler with ourselves and one another. May we offer not just love and light, but love that listens, light that helps us see one another more clearly, and compassion that inspires us to act.
Because no matter what season of life we're in, we all deserve a little kindness—and none of us should have to weather every storm alone.
With love and light (and a little more action behind it),
Lisa Alexander