Reclaiming November
November used to be a good month with my sister, my mom's, and my birthday. Plus, Thanksgiving is fourth Thursday. There were lunches and shopping trips and hanging out at my parents house. With my mom's death the day after her birthday in 2010, then my sister's unexpected death the day before her birthday in 2013, the month has felt cold, bleak, devoid of color for over a decade. In my pretending state, trying to push myself to find the good again and maybe some joy, I'm pushing myself to reclaim November. I'm still breathing and have a birthday ahead of me plus the Thanksgiving weekend will be filled with my kids, their pets staying with me, and seeing extended family and friends. One of my friends since young childhood, also sadly a widow at too young an age, does a daily Thankfulness post in November. I'm not to that stage yet, but I'll read her reflections with hope. My list to reclaiming the month is shorter, but with promise that these too