Are you one of those people who loves Fall? I used to be.
It was my favorite time of year and I would gorge myself on every little autumn cliché, from bobbing for apples to adding cinnamon and nutmeg to everything (and I do mean *everything*). For a decade I hosted my infamous Pumpkin Party every November, a potluck event where each food item featured pumpkin or squash in some way.
Autumn and I were best buds; until my brother died.
For six years, Fall has been about mourning, about remembering, about picking up the pieces of my life that broke when his body did. Every week in Fall is a new anniversary, a new reminder of his cancer treatments, his death, his birthday, his favorite holidays. By the time December 1 (my birthday) rolls around, I’m usually emotionally exhausted and ready for the dark days of winter.
But something different happened this year.
Yesterday, as I was walking through my farmer’s market, smiling at the apples and pumpkins, I realized that, for the first time in six years, I was feeling giddy excitement about Fall.
Maybe, just maybe, this is the year that autumn and I rekindle our friendship.
To honor this moment, I bought some autumn flowers, and placed them on our Dia de los Muertos altar, a reminder to myself that grieving can be colorful and joyous, and that the best way to celebrate someone’s life is to savor the life you have — sprinkled with a little bit of cinnamon and nutmeg.
In celebration of my newly rekindled love of Fall, I want to know, what do you love about this time of year? Do you have traditions surrounding autumn? Or do you avoid it like I did for so many years?
Find me on Instagram and let me know.
With love and a pinch of cinnamon,
Lauren
