October Rising

October simply rolls in like one of those pumpkins on display at all the local markets…large, round, and filled with possibility. Thirty-one days of pop-up skeletons and ghouls on neighborhood lawns and porches. Even the name of the month begins with one perfect O. And, in me, the sense of wonder that the changing colors bring is a promise of beauty unfolding at any moment.

On a personal level, October is the month my first child was born. The joy of her arrival has never dimmed. I have a clear memory of unwrapping her bundled body and counting with awe her tiny fingers and toes. This beautiful child was my first gift of hope to the world.

October has also brought me the publication of my first novel, another act of creation that also represents hope. After all the months of writing, revising, and seeking publication, the story is born into a world that may accept or reject, embrace or disdain.

Becoming a mother…becoming an author… both can be a completion and a challenge. As both, I am called to sustain, care for, nurture, respect, and finally, let go. I sent my daughter into the wild chaos of life. I send my words there, as well, as poems, stories, and novels. I hold tight as long as I can and then, release them into the air of possibility, into October’s cool nights and warm days, into the winds of change, inevitable and unknown.

May your October days be fulfilling and your nights a source of rest and renewal.