By Brandon Matthews
The heat of summer is fading, the air is getting cooler, and that means the fall season is here. The leaves that were once green and full of life are slowly falling away. Once again, it’s another season of change.
That means school has started, fall sports and church events are filling calendars and holidays are on the horizon. On the surface, it looks like everything is in place. There’s something exciting about the fall season, but it can also be full of pressure.
Students face school stress, families get busy with activities, daylight shortens, and some people begin to quietly struggle. Depression can creep in. Substance use may rise. Mental health challenges become easier to hide behind busy schedules and polite answers. This is why it’s important to not only recognize the changes happening around us but the changes happening in us. The signs are there; we just have to notice before the fall happens. So let me offer three ways to catch the falling leaves in your life and those around you before they hit the ground.
- See Beneath the Surface. Fall is full of beauty, but beauty doesn’t always mean balance. Just because someone seems okay doesn’t mean they are okay. Don’t be fooled by smiles or social media. Be intentional about noticing the seasonal shift in your life and in others. Instead of just asking “How are you?” Ask “How’s your heart?” or “What’s been heavy lately?” Your willingness to see beneath the surface could uncover what someone’s been hiding.
- Stand Strong and Stay Steady. When life gets heavy, people don’t always ask for help. What they need is someone who will stand strong and stay steady, someone who doesn’t disappear when the leaves start falling. You don’t have to solve the problem; you just need to be present. Consistency creates safety. Safety creates space for honesty. And honesty opens the door for healing. Be the friend who is strong and steady.
- Share the Struggle. Eventually, the leaves fall. And when they do, no one should have to rake the yard alone. The people around you may be carrying more than they can manage. Share the struggle by offering support in practical ways:
- Help them find resources or make that first call.
- Walk with them to a counseling appointment.
- Sit with them in the silence.
- Keep checking in.
You don’t have to carry everything. Just carry something. Your willingness to help can make the load feel lighter.
In nature, fall isn’t a failure, it’s just a part of the cycle. It’s a season of change that clears space for growth. The same is true for people. Struggling doesn’t mean someone is broken. Falling doesn’t mean they won’t bloom again. But the sooner we notice the signs, the sooner we provide support, and the more likely someone is to make it through the season with hope.
Let’s be people who slow down and pay attention. Let’s see beneath the surface, stay steady, and share the struggle.
Brandon Matthews is the Alabaster for Tomorrow Program Director.