A Letter to November

Dear November,

Here you are again.  You are the month of our first measurable snow.  You are the month when our temperatures begin to hover near zero.  You are the  month when we have to endure cold winds, biting snow, and, sometimes, freezing rain.  How I dread that!

However, I do look forward to seeing you again.  You are  the month when we celebrate Thanksgiving and our families gather together.  The kids come home for a visit.  We gather with our extended family to celebrate the holiday.  We play games and laugh.  We groan when we know that NOW it's time to decorate for Christmas.  We pull out our Christmas wish lists for all to see.  Of course, everyone jokes about who's been naughty and nice.  We laugh.  Sometimes, we cry.  We look back over the year, and look forward to Christmas when we will be together again. 

November, you are month when we are reminded to give thanks, again.  Of course, we should always remember to give thanks, and we have so much for which we should be thankful.  Even when our lives are sad or challenging, we still need to remember to give thanks.  The bad times help us to appreciate the good times even more.  We can only live step by step, second by second, hour by hour, and day by day.   Life moves on, and we can either live in the moment or be stuck in the place where we don't want to be.  Hope comes in the continued flow of life, not in the whirlpool the swirls in an endless circle. 

One more thing, November, it's so much nicer to make beads in the cooler weather.  The heat of the torch and the kiln warm up the room so nicely.  The glass flows on to the mandrel.  The cool of the room makes shaping the beads so much easier than when the room is warm.  I hope to be down torching often, November. 

Well, thank you for being the month that you are.  Even if I complain about your weather, I really do enjoy the coziness of my home.  I am grateful that I have a home.  I am grateful that my money extends enough to pay the bills.  I am grateful for the food in my cupboard and refrigerator.  Yes, November, I like you.  I look forward to enjoying your virtues. 

Thankfully,
Me