Now that the chilly weather is here and October is well underway, I’m happy to say I am an autumn person. When people ask me my favorite time of year, I always say ‘holiday season’ which starts in October with Halloween and goes through Christmas in December.
I’ve always dressed up for Halloween with enthusiasm, and this year is no different. The day this paper comes out, I’m kicking off the season by spending the day in downtown Ortonville at Witches Night Out. I’ll be selling my books, as well as helping run the jail fundraiser for Brandon Groveland Youth Assistance. I get to dress up for the evening in my favorite black dress and a cloak to fit in with all the other women dressed up as witches throughout downtown, which is exactly the kind of enthusiasm like to surround myself with.
Following that, we have two Halloween parties and of course Halloween night, when we’ll hand out candy in our neighborhood.
I like the chilly weather we get, it’s refreshing to me, and I like bundling up in sweaters and blankets with my little space heaters (aka, my dogs).
Plus, this is my birthday season. Right around (or on) Thanksgiving, I get to celebrate my and my best friend’s birthdays. Her and I always make time for each other during the month because our birthdays are close to holidays and can get lost in the shuffle, so there’s usually plenty of cake and various other baked goods on top of the Thanksgiving feasts.
And, of course, Christmas time. I love decorating for Christmas, Christmas shopping, and gift giving. Everything about the process is joyful for me, from shopping for the perfect gift for someone to wrapping everything in whatever wrapping paper I buy that year to coordinate with my Christmas decorations.
I know that holidays can be difficult for some people. People I love often struggle with those who have died no longer being around for the holidays, a hole in a family that can’t be filled by anything.
But I embrace the good and the bad this season. We spend the holidays telling stories of people we miss, like grandparents, and laughing. When I want to feel close to my Mimi, I make her pumpkin bread and share it with friends and family. Or I wear her big, knit cardigan that she made for herself.
My husband and I even got married on December 12. That was my Papa’s birthday, as well as my cousin’s birthday. When she was a little girl, she learned that they shared a birthday, and my Papa looked at her and said “You know what? You can have all my birthdays” and she was thrilled.
So sure, holidays can be hard and cold. But they’re also full of love and memories and joy.