The Serenity of November

 

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great Halloween season and are looking forward to the final weeks of 2021 ahead.

Considering how many of my Internet friends are diehard autumn and Halloween fans, it's common for me to see them lament the arrival of November. For them, November means not only the end of their beloved Halloween, but the start of the Christmas season and all of its hustle and bustle.

I also love October and Halloween--I wouldn't participate in the Countdown to Halloween if I didn't--but instead of being sad about the end of that season, I embrace the new month.

I love November!

For me, November is the perfect transition from the gothic nature of October to the grandeur and pomp of December. November allows time for contemplation and reflection, a time to pause between two months defined by the fantastic and the spectacular. November is a more sober month than October or December, and I'm very glad it is.

For me, November is the most autumnal of months, at least in my area of the country. September is basically Summer Lite, and October still has plenty of greenery and warmth. November is the one month that is consistently "fall." Cool temperatures, changing leaves, earlier darkness--everything people love about autumn really doesn't hit its stride until this month.

These conditions allow for the contemplation I mentioned earlier. November is a month to feel the nip in the air and take a deep breath while you meditate on your place in the world and how you wish to spend your time on this earth. It's a great month to get a handle on your mental health. I recommend you take full advantage of it.

So go for a stroll through your neighborhood after sunset. Feel the cool wind embrace you. Smell the neighbor's fire pit and enjoy the scent of burning hickory. Let November wash over you. You've earned it. You deserve it.

Enjoy November!