When October Goes. It seems inevitable that I revisit this song each year about this time. It is a reflective song about losses, dreams, and a wistfulness that goes along with this season. It reminds me of a sigh that we take just before we enter the gateway into the holiday season.
There are many things about Autumn that I love, and I know I’m not alone. As we shift slowly into darker, colder days and the leaves finally let go, a reflective spirit settles over our hearts. For my family, October has reminders of the great sadness we experience at the loss of John Robert, remembered especially on his birthday (the 23rd). Sadness is not our only experience as we contemplate his memory. He brought so much joy and laughter into the lives of many. But that loss remains the undercurrent of so much of our thoughts and lives.
That’s the way it is as we move into November and December, isn’t it? The memories of what could have been are mixed with the happiness of gatherings, giving gifts, eating delicious food, and knowing we are loved. In the shadow of an approaching new year, it feels like we are coming to an important transition. It doesn’t have anything to do with the weather or the names of the months. I think it has to do with our faith in renewal and hope.
I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house. - Nathaniel Hawthorne
When October goes, a winding-down has been set into motion and it cannot be reversed. At the end of this year, take time to silently reflect on what has been, and what could be. Don’t rush through, filling your days with so much busyness that you miss the blessing of the evenings that come too soon, the temperatures that fall too low, and the winter that tests our fortitude.
The beginning of that transition is in October. I am thankful for October. And I agree with the lyric of the song below. It doesn’t matter much how old I grow, I hate to see October go.
Be Strong and Take Heart, All You Who Hope in the Lord ~ Psalm 31:24
When October Goes by Barry Manilow
And when October goes
The snow begins to fly
Above the smokey roofs
I watch the planes go byThe children running home
Beneath a twilight sky
Oh, for the fun of then
When I was one of themAnd when October goes
The same old dream appears
And you are in my arms
To share the happy yearsI turn my head away
To hide the helpless tears
Oh how I hate to see October goI should be over it now I know
It doesn’t matter much
How old I grow
I hate to see October go
As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see. - Vincent Van Gogh
A few posts have caught my attention and I want to share them with you.
A Small Journey of the Sanguine by Chris Arnade
Autumn Prayer by Doug Leonhardt, S.J.
What I’m Reading
Fiction - Death at Paradise Palms by Steph Broadribb
NonFiction - Our Greatest Gift, A Meditation on Dying and Caring by Henri J. M. Nouwen
Bible - John’s Gospel
What do you love most about Autumn? What are you reading?