Hello October: Welcome in Harvest & Spooky Season

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We’ve finally made it to SPOOKY SEASON and HARVEST SEASON time. It’s time for pumpkin patches, hay rides, apple cider, and people fighting on social media over pumpkin spice lattes (I personally find them eww, but I support your right to consume what brings you joy.) With October, my favorite stretch of the year truly begins. September is in there too, but nothing beats October to December.

This is the time of the year when the air starts to feel a little crisp, the holidays are around the corner, and everything (to me) feels a little sweeter. I’m especially excited for this season because my daughter is a little older now, and we can take her out and about without thinking she’d get too overwhelmed. We’re already planning to take her to a pumpkin patch, ride her around Downtown Montgomery during events, and take her to take pictures.

As excited as I am to experience these things as a parent with my daughter, I can’t help but be excited about experiencing these things as an adult with my fiancé. You know, on some fall dates type thing, ya know? I feel like as long as we keep that “childlike wonder” feeling alive and feed our inner child, things like this never cease to feel special and magical. No matter how old we get.

Another big thing I’m looking forward to this month is starting my new school. If you know me, then you know I’ve been very transparent about this journey. It’s been a loooooong and tricky one, however, I think where I’ve landed is the one (academic-wise), and I can’t wait to get started! You know i’ll keep y’all in the know over here. To read into what I’m feeling so far, you can read my post on LinkedIn.

I’m actually “all-in” type excited for this academic move and I have more that I’m considering after I get this degree under my belt. WGU has a lot of resources and I plan to take advantage of every single one.

October for my family also means the unofficially official jump-off to the holidays. My mom and I are basically the President and Vice President of Holidays for the family, respectfully. My mom and I have been talking about trees (yes, plural between our two houses,) decorations, themes, and gifting. My dad and I, however, are the ones in charge of holiday meal planning. I’m really hoping to plan and host some family functions at my house for the holidays this year. I think it’s only right since I live in my grandma’s house to bring it further to life by being able to do that in her honor.

The hardest part about doing that, however, is her not being here in the physical sense. This year will make two years without her and while I’m living, it still feels like it was only yesterday. Everything is still hella fresh and I hae my days where I breakdown and moments where I’m overcome with emotion. I even have times where I sit and look in my daughter’s eyes and it’s like staring into my grandmother’s. Thankfully, I’m still blessed to have another grandmother (maternal) living and I enjoy every one of our conversations and moments. For example, one of my favorites with her is when she was showing me how to make her peach cobbler and the efficiency she has preparing it while also just moving around the kitchen and humming is poetic.

I’m also looking forward to basketball season being back in full effect. While I’m going to miss Inside the NBA and I dislike it very much being put on Amazon Prime for so many to not be able to watch, I’m still excited for the season. I’m hoping my Miami Heat will scorch this year and maybe make a run for things.

We also have the MLB playoffs going on and as I write this, my Dodgers are currently up on the Reds 5-0 at home and I mean, I think we’re winning it all again this year. It would only be right and my grandmother would definitely approve seeing as how she was a lifelong Dodgers fan.

You know who I have no hope for this season? My New Orleans Saints. I see nothing good happening for them as long as Mickey Loomis is the GM. He needs to go. Y’all can catch me in a Saints shirt and a brown bag for the duration of the season.

As far as vibes, I know it’s easy to start to fall into seasonal depression around this time. So I’m already looking at how I can prevent this for myself. I haven’t had many problems with seasonal depression, but losing my grandma almost two years ago makes grief easy to come by around this time of year.

My biggest thing is making sure that I’m keeping a constant line of communication open with my people (family, close friends) and spending more time in reflection, this way I’m really sitting with how I feel and now blowing it off. This has long since been my issue.

I’m hopeful that October will be a fruitful and fulfilling month for me, but I’m hoping and praying it is for all of you, too.

Happy October!