It is my favorite month. It is not a calendar month, per se. It starts about 11PM Halloween and ends promptly at midnite Thanksgiving Day, whatever the date.
The reason? It is a whole month where gratitude is the main focus. For me, it is a precious time not only to look and be thankful for what and who are in my life but to add to what I already know about gratitude. It is a time to breathe. A time to reflect. A time to make nice.
Because of its place in the calendar year, we know that the Biggestness of the Year is right around the corner but for these heavenly 25+ days, we have little to concentrate on by each other. Nothing to plan, to shop for, to bake or decorate for. The weather still has some great days that I am certain, it saves just for this time. It make everyone like the color orange, even if just for a while. It is a time to let go and imagine what could be if we had a bunch of blank spaces in our lives. It is a month of sweaters, blankets, books and hot chocolate. It is also a time to take as much time as you need to get your head on straight. To figure out, yet again, what we really need, what is necessary - to separate the important from the essential.
Despite the sickness that we are now experiencing, I am so grateful that I can hold a sick baby for as long as need be. Nowhere to be, the only thing that really needs to be shopped for is food and gasoline, unlike last week when we spent over 4 hours in a ToysRUs store, holding on to our loot - waiting for a sale. In our defense, we did save over $100 and right now, none of us ever want to step foot in that store again.
My first day was the perfect start to my month. Quiet, picked up a few groceries and hit Sonic at Happy Hour. Worked on a few halloween pictures and swirled more than a few thoughts thru my mind. Food for thought, just the way this month should be...
