Tell me something beautiful about October. This is my second October without my daughter. Marika loved this month. To her, it meant homecoming and soccer. It was the time to carve pumpkins and pick apples. In October, we bought new jeans and winter jackets. And she planned and partied and dressed up for Halloween, even at age twenty.<\/p>\n
Never warming to October before, the past two years I tried to establish new traditions to enliven this time of the year. Like going to Monica\u2019s Pies in Naples, NY, for grape pies. And planting solar-powered garden torches in the driveway to lighten the dark nights. I drink hot chocolate in the chilly mornings, light candles over dinner and plan winter escapes.<\/p>\n
During her last October, Marika wrote this poem to the young man she loved. It\u2019s a sad poem. And for me, this is just a sad month. All the grape pies, cocoa and candles can only brighten small moments of it. But that is okay. I can allow myself to acknowledge sorrowful times. I will embrace both the beauty and the sadness of October.
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
Goodbye October<\/b>
\nMarika Warden, 2010<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a rustle in the bushes
\nNot a cloud up in the sky.
\nI\u2019m just watching trees change colors
\nAnd pretending they won\u2019t die.
\nSo I\u2019ll take as many photos
\nAs these canisters can hold
\n\u2018Cause I feel like I\u2019ve been dying,
\nI\u2019m not even growing old.<\/p>\n
Turning pages through my story
\nRunning smoothly \u2018round the bend
\nI\u2019ve outwitted every obstacle,
\nBut every story ends.
\nNow I\u2019m sitting on the terrace
\nLooking up at eyes of blue
\nAnd nothing really matters,
\nNot while I am here with you.<\/p>\n
Goodbye October.
\nGoodbye to pastures lush and green
\n\u2018Til the springtime winds of April
\nBlow away this winter dream.
\nGoodbye October.
\nGoodbye my wide-eyed rambling man.
\nTell your stories to the wind
\nAnd I\u2019ll be with you once again.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Goodbye October.
\nIn a year you\u2019ll reappear
\nBut forgive me if my story ends
\nAnd I\u2019m no longer here.
\nGoodbye October.
\nLet these memories stay true
\nAnd one day across the sea
\nI hope that I can be with you.<\/p>\n
\u00a0What about October should I look for? What fading memories do you love? What does October mean to you?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tell me something beautiful about October. This is my second October without my daughter. Marika loved this month. To her, it meant homecoming and soccer. It was the time to carve pumpkins and pick apples. In October, we bought new jeans and winter jackets. And she planned and partied and dressed up for Halloween, even […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-24"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t