Intentional Living

What made life better in October?

My grandson- Teddy is the delight of my heart. His grin in the mornings make my heart sing and that wicked little look he gives me from across the room when he knows I will join him in mischief is delightful. This child is a wonder every day, but we recently took him to the apple farm where he picked his first apple, crawled around in the pumpkins, and enjoyed 2 new delicious treats. He destroyed an apple cider donut with two hands nom-nom-noming with gusto, but the look he gave me when I slipped a bit of maple floss (cotton candy) between his lips was priceless. I love watching the wonder of the world unfold from his perspective. It reminds me to slow down, pay attention, and enjoy the sweet bits.
Sharing books- Keith and I have been sharing audiobooks. I’ve been listening to them because of my long commute, but after a trip to Pennsylvania, Keith was hooked. In order to maximize our spending on these, I’ve been looking for books we both might enjoy. I love listening to a great story, but it is even better when I am anticipating how Keith will respond when he hears it. I’ve selected several titles that have movies so that we could watch them together after we listened to them separately. Last night he came home and told me he had finished the latest volume. He admitted the ending caused a tear. It brings such joy to grow together in new ways after all these years.
Working together- A couple weeks ago we pulled off an amazing wedding. Brian and Kaitlyn’s wedding was beautiful, authentic, and purely magical. I’ve rarely had more fun at a wedding. We laughed and danced the night away. The thing I loved most about their special day was the way their friends and family surrounded them with love and practical help. Our friends hosted the ceremony at their beautiful farm, friends took beautiful pictures, provided coverage, and sound. Her family provided a highlight of the event, the Candy Bar with sweet delights. Allie, Teri, and I pulled together beautiful flowers. Stephanie made an extraordinary display of cake and cupcakes. My family from far away dunked apples in caramel, made pumpkin cookies, tied wire on to pumpkins, and arranged and rearranged things to perfection. It was the process that made this wedding so special. Love brought us together and we enjoyed every bit of it.
Spending time- Having the family here for the wedding was bittersweet. It was awesome to see everyone and to enjoy such a special time but the goodbyes seem to get harder. Dad is sick. Everyone’s lives are so busy. It’s hard to know when we will see each other again. And yet, it was so good to dance, to laugh, to trade candies, and throw a wedding together. We are pulling together a pack of memories, wrapping them up with love. There were hard moments, and yet we spent time together. We leaned into our love and came away dripping with it. Whatever the future holds, we have this shared past that will sustain us.
Slowing down- After all of the excitement of the wedding and the family and the work, we rested. We cleared the calendar and spent time being quiet. We leaned into the quiet and listened to the silence. I read. I daydreamed. We watched mindless TV. We didn’t go anywhere we didn’t have to and we just enjoyed being home. I so often forget that the antidote to too much is to slow down and enjoy the space. Here and now. I love my crazy busy life, my dinners with friends, and lots of outings. But, I also need to sit quietly under a blanket and watch the leaves fall from the trees. I can’t be all go go go, I also need some stay stay stay.
 
What made October better for you?