Short but Sweet: November

To me, this is the most beautiful part of the fall. When almost all the leaves are off of the trees and everything is stark against the sky, whether it happens to be blue or white on a given day. The air is crisp, and the light has a certain special luster — not the warm, honeyed hue of the spring or summer, but a clear, white gleam, like diamonds. At twilight everything glows — the colors of the leaves are vivid as night comes on. There’s a hush, but the breeze is full of intimate whispers.

This month used to just pass me by as I looked forward to Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. It always has been and it remains so. It used to be just because I loved the food and the simplicity of the day (as opposed to the insanity of the December holidays — my parents owned a retail store, so it wasn’t an especially fun time of the year). As I get older, there’s something I find necessary and right about coming together with friends and family in gratitude when the year is winding down and the world is preparing for its deep sleep.

Now November is also my daughters’ birth month, so it has a special vibration for me. It’s the month when, in 2003 and in 2005, I curled up with a newborn girl. The time when I began to nurture a new life, just as nature snuggled up around us. It feels sacred now, each year.