The Irish speak of thin places where heaven and earth are very close, places where God can seep through the cracks. Autumn is a time when God seems to seep through the cracks rather easily. Stars are brighter, air crisper, colors more brilliant. Thoughts are turned nostalgically to the “last chances”—last garden pickings of tomatoes and sweet corn, last smells of mown grass, whole days of open windows. Our souls are constantly tugged, our minds more attentive, our thoughts more reflective, our bodies sensing the incremental differences. We’re more aware, and God sees his chance to seep through.