Fall Forward: Embracing the Season of Togetherness
Autumn reminds us that change can be beautiful, especially when shared with others.
Sep 21, 2025
Written by our Founder and Chairman, the Celebrations Pulse letters aim to engage with our community. By welcoming your ideas and sharing your stories, we want to help you strengthen your relationships with the most important people in your life.
After a few short months filled with long, warm days and vacations, we’re now experiencing the inevitable shift in the season. The air has turned cooler, the days have grown shorter, and the leaves are starting to yellow. It’s nature’s annual reminder of what lies ahead.
I’ve always loved the energy of summer, but the transition to fall can weigh on us. When summer fades, it’s easy to feel melancholy, like something precious is slipping away and we’re barreling into a long stretch that feels like the very opposite of summer.
Or are we?
Over time, I’ve learned that the best way to ease those end-of-summer blues — or any seasonal slump — is to give ourselves something to look forward to. And fall always satisfies.
From football games and tailgates with friends to pumpkin-picking outings, fall is rich with rituals that bring us together and give the season its own magic. Sure, it’s not the beach or backyard barbecues, but these cooler-weather traditions carry a warmth all their own.
My favorite fall rituals
For me, fall means gathering with friends for a day out on the North Fork of Long Island. Marylou and I join them to visit some of our favorite wineries, and we always make time to stop at Junda’s Pastry Crust and Crumbs for their famous strudel, and Briermere Farms, for pies that rarely make it to the dinner table intact. Afterward, we all head back to my house for dinner.
Sometimes it’s a lobster bake, sometimes something simpler. Regardless of what’s on the menu, it’s the tradition that matters most. It gives us something to look forward to as the days grow shorter.
This time of year also includes events that are especially close to my heart. Last week, we held the fifth annual Smile Farms Golf Invitational, and we are now focused on the upcoming 10th anniversary Growing Together Gala on Nov. 20. These celebrations are a testament to the purpose and the dignity of meaningful work for people of all abilities.
And of course, it’s not really fall until Marylou and I have ordered our mums from IGHL, Smile Farms’ first campus, in Moriches, New York. The ritual of sprucing up our porch reminds us of the season and Smile Farms’ mission of helping people with developmental disabilities find meaningful employment. Plus, when neighbors stop to admire them, it’s a chance to share the Smile Farms story.
Decking the halls and porches
I’m not alone in marking the season by decorating our porch. Many Celebrations Pulse readers shared how this ritual has grown into an ever-popular tradition that brings joy to their families, neighbors, and communities year after year.
Vicki, who’s lived on the same property since 1968, begins each fall with a wreath on her door. From there, she transitions to Halloween lights and then Thanksgiving touches. “I’ve started hearing from passersby who’ve enjoyed my decorations for years,” she writes. Even her former hairstylist used her house as a landmark during late-night drives home!
Anna Maria takes a more understated approach, layering textures and heirlooms: fairytale pumpkins in soft blues and greens, bittersweet branches from a hawthorn tree, and bud-tight mums passed down from her mother. “I decorate with elegant talismans and nature’s delights,” she says.
Finding connection through sports
Another thing I look forward to each fall is the return of sports and the rituals around them. Sundays in my house usually mean cheering on the New York Giants. And I’ve always rooted for the Mets, no matter how the season ends. But whether you’re a die-hard fan or just enjoy the energy, fall sports have a way of pulling people together.
One reader, James, shared a story about his grandfather that reminded me how deep those connections can go:
“Every year, my grandfather and I would take a weekend trip to South Bend for a Notre Dame game. We'd drive three hours, set up the tailgate with his friends, and soak it all in. When he got too old to go, he missed it more than anything.”
James’ story speaks to the power of sports as tradition — how they mark time, build memories, and create bonds that last far beyond the final score.
For many, it’s not just about the team but the festivities at the tailgate. Whether it’s a big college game in a small town or a neighborhood get-together in a driveway, these gatherings are where the real magic happens. Even if you’re not headed to the stadium, you can still bring that game-day spirit home. You don’t need bleachers to create a community.
Embracing the season
Like many things in life, it’s more important to focus on what lies ahead, not what’s left behind. We’re entering a season full of color, reflection, and warmth that comes more from our relationships than the sun.
Autumnal rituals deepen our connections and help us turn the season into something shared. Whether it’s sports in the stadium or soup on the stove, a walk through the orchard or a pie from the farm stand, these repeated actions remind us that life is richest when it’s shared.
I hope you’ll use this magical time to embrace your own rituals. These are the stories we carry forward – and the ones we’ll remember.
All the best,
Jim
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AUTHOR
Jim McCann is the founder and chairman of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. as well as a business leader, author, and philanthropist with a passion for helping people deliver smiles. Devoted to helping others, he also founded Smile Farms, a 501(c)3 organization that provides meaningful jobs in agricultural settings to young adults and adults with developmental disabilities.
