November

Some of you may remember my months of gratitude last year and the year before. This year, I got so excited about them I started prewriting posts, a little, that I'll sprinkle into the mix through the month. I've been looking forward to November for weeks.

But I don't mind telling you, friends, I'm in a little bit of a thrown-for-a-loop place in my life, which I'm sorry to be all cryptic and vaguebooky about, but I'm not really able to be more specific, partly because I don't know all the details myself.

The planets are out of alignment, my perspective's shifting, I'm learning some and growing some in ways that are likely to be ultimately good but are currently mostly weird and a little painful.

I don't totally know what's coming next, but I know that the first of November feels like a fresh-start place in its grey skeletalness, because I have this gloriously self-indulgent space to explore the things about my life and the world that work and are beautiful.

Oh, hey, also: I am aware of a few regular readers who are also going through different hard times today, or around now. Please know that you are on my mind and in my heart. Maybe we can all send each other some of what Beth would call "white light."

Day 1 of my month of gratitude: I am thankful for opportunities to pause, catch a breath, and change course.