It is my birthday month. So I have always loved it. (18th, if you are curious :)).
But after coming to California, and having lived here for 14 years, its meaning has evolved for me.
- First of all, its the weather. October and November are so beautiful out here. Warm afternoons, patio lunches, slight chill in the morning and evening but you can still go out n about with just a light jacket on you.
- FALL COLORS
- Halloween fun (I love dressing up the kids aspect, hate the candy aspect) (technically, it's on October 31, but it's almost November :))
- Thanksgiving travel (since we don't celebrate it with a turkey dinner, we travel :))
- And last but not the least, the general feeling of "giving" and "expressing gratitude/thanks" all around. I've also observed people are happier, mainly because of the spending days ahead of them. Shopping is exciting, for most people anyway.
On FB (yep, it had to be featured here), many of my friends post their thankfulness list on a daily basis. And because it's a social media website, you will find people mocking about it too :).
I had been toying with the idea of doing a blog marathon on gratitude for this month, instead of FB updates.
And when I gave more thought to it, after having observed what everyone else is posting - I realized that as part of my daily bedtime routine, I already express gratitude for all the blessings in my life.
What new would I add to that list by doing the blog marathon?
Instead, I'd like to post more often about encounters or experiences, which make me feel grateful on a daily basis.
If I think about today, these are the things that happened:
As I dropped the daughter off at school, one of her classmates was having a rough morning. He just did not want to be at school. He stood there at the door and kept crying. My daughter was sooper nice to him, and held his hand and walked him inside the classroom. As his dad and I walked out, he asked me "Will he be okay?" and I told him: "He's going to be fine. They all have such days. Do something fun with him in the evening. Plan a small surprise, maybe get a cupcake on the way home." It instantly lighted up his face. He was less worried. I feel like I made a difference in his day. "Small talk" always helps, when used at the right moment.
My next stop was at the son's daycare. His caregiver told me that a neighborhood lady was complaining about her daycare parents driving very fast in the morning in the neighborhood, and that she was going to complain to the police. She was very worried, and was looking for reassurance. I drive really slow, and she knows that. But I assured her - I said just warn all the parents, and ask them to be extra careful, especially if that particular lady is outside or her children are playing outside. Be sensitive to her complaint but don't worry beyond that. We are not going anywhere else because of such a minor issue. It put her at ease. Giving her reassurance and putting trust in her made a difference.
And then as I walked into work, I realized I had to get a temp badge. The security guard had Christmas Carols on his playlist. And I LOVE Christmas Carols. I went to a Convent and loved every aspect of Christmas celebrations during my school years. So I told him, "wow you have Christmas Carols playing already". He started defending himself "Oh it's just one song on the playlist. It's not that time of the year yet." And I told him: "I LOVE Christmas Carols. I don't mind listening to them anytime of the year." And it brought a huge smile on his face :).
We are conditioned to expect more criticism than positive remarks, in today's world. With much of our communication between people being virtual, so much - like facial expressions, a hug or some form of touch, reacting appropriately after reading someone's face, etc. is lost. I don't like that. I still try to meet with friends in person. I prefer video chat with my parents over a phone call or email. I prefer calling up my friends in other countries/continents vs emailing them. I prefer visiting India every year to catch up with my family and friends than simply waiting years before meeting them face to face. As much as I love Facebook for the value it brings into my social life, I don't let it replace the connection that happens when you connect via non-virtual means, especially in person.
Such are the things I would like to write about, and I would prefer to write them as they happen, vs. forcing myself to do a post every day, and be repetitive.
Having expressed how I feel, I still really appreciate everyone who is doing it, and enjoy reading most of it.
Now, I'm looking forward to my birthday weekend getaway, and Thanksgiving travel :).
November, I'll always love you :)!
