My Love Affair With October

For as long as I can remember, I've always had a little thing for October.  I can't quite explain it, but every year on October 1 I just feel this great sense of relief and comfort.  It's like every stress, large or small, that I've been bearing in my mind or on my shoulders just eases up a bit, and everything is fresh and fancy-free.  It sounds so silly, I know, but it really is the best time of year.  October also brings my birthday, as well as a few birthdays of friends and family, my favorite holiday, red and orange leaves, a cool breeze, the delicious scent of baked sweet potatoes, Russian sage and aster, memories from the past and Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins!

As for Halloween - people seem to either love it or hate it.  Well, say what you will about the day of "devil-worshipping", but there are some really wonderful aspects to the spooky holiday.  For me, it has always been such a beautiful example of community togetherness.  Yes, there have been negative cases regarding trick r' treating such as awful people poisoning candy and/or putting razor blades and other harmful substances into kids' goodies, but nothing like that has ever happened to me or anyone I know so excuse me while I reminisce the good.  When I was little my whole family would come to Nana and Pop's for my birthday on the 30th, and many of them would stick around for Halloween and take me out trick r' treating with my mom.  Then, when I was a little older but still young enough for it to be acceptable to participate, I would go around the neighborhood with my close friends collecting candy, laughing at the funny costumes, crying at the scary ones and just relishing in the moment, wishing time would come to a stand still.

It makes me excited to think about the future when I have children of my own and get to celebrate this magical time with them.  I hope they adore all the wonder as much as I do.  I also hope they aren't little sour-pusses like I was every year on my birthday.  It's so strange that I would get so grumpy all of the sudden on my special day and almost always end up getting a spanking or, at the very least, a good talking-to.  I think I would just get overwhelmed by all of the emotions I was experiencing - excitement and delight to be surrounded by everybody I love, the opening of all those pretty little gifts.  And I've always gotten really anxious when I'm with opposite sides of the family at the same time and friends from different friend circles.  I always feel like I'm not giving each person enough attention, or giving some people too much attention.  I'm silly like that I suppose.

Let's see if I can remember all of my Halloween costumes.  I've been a witch, Jasmine from Aladdin, Meg from Hercules, Dorothy, a clown, a '50s diner waitress, an angel, a can-can dancer, Marie Antoinette, a vampire princess, Linda from The Evil Dead, the Virgin Mary, Courtney Love...and that's about all I can think of right now.  I'm sure I forgot quite a few costumes, but those are the ones that seem to stick in my memory.

So there you are, kids.  Now go enjoy the beginnings of Fall and that fresh October air we all love so much.

xoxo