November reverie

The eleventh month is smack dab in the middle of autumn when leaves are changing, air temps are sinking, and we are inching closer to the winter chill. I have always been a spring/summer type of gal, preferring my biker shorts and tank tops to multiple layers, but I do have a soft spot for the month of November.

When I was a kid, November was always my month. When you are a kid, your birthday is always the center of your focus. Once a year, a day is dedicated just for you. It’s a day you feel just a little more special, no matter what else is going on. So when the calendar flips to November 1st, I always get a little tingle of excitement because I know that in a couple of weeks, my special day is coming up. I’m still a kid at heart, after all.

I got married on a crisp November morning. It was a beautiful day, with all of the fall colors bursting on the trees just before they made their final descent for the season. Our outdoor wedding pics are largely my husband and I smiling through the bristling chill of 49 degrees. We got married six days before my birthday, which I spent in the warm embrace of my husband and the Puerto Vallarta sun.

Fast forward about nine years. Pregnant with my second baby, I had the option to schedule her c-section (it was my second one). I could have chosen my birthday, which would have been cool, but I wanted her to be able to celebrate her special day separate from mine. As much as I would have loved sharing my day with her, I always wanted her to have her own special day, so I waited an extra three days before she would grace us with her gorgeous presence.

Then, of course, there’s Thanksgiving, which is the beginning of the winter holiday season. We always put our decorations up that weekend, which brings us that festive spirit to counteract the fact that there’s no more leafy green to be seen. Oh, how I love those green trees…

I sit here, on November 1st, anticipating all of the things we are about to celebrate. It is the culmination of another year of life, of unity, of gratitude. This year, we are also celebrating some big numbers: 25 (our nuptials), 50 (that’s me), 16 (my beautiful baby). They may be just numbers, but they mean a lot in our house. We’ve gone through some significant challenges to get to those numbers, and I am proud to be able to tally them now in good health and happiness.

I’ve swapped out my shorts and t-shirts for my long-sleeves and sweatshirts. I’m preparing mentally and physically for the “hunker-down” period and becoming more amenable to the layers that will keep me from shivering too much. While that’s starting, I am enjoying a little pre-celebration reverie, knowing that soon, I will have a lot to celebrate. Though I still yearn for summer, I’ll take a little pause to enjoy some special occasions in my world.