As much as I simply adore Autumn, I’m not sad to see October 2023 go. It goes on the record of DO NOT REPEAT. While it’s not my personal story to share, suffice it to say I’ve been one-track-minded for many weeks. The best news is that improvements are noted and healing is commencing in miraculous ways.

As I ponder and process these past many weeks, a few notable nuggets emerge: Calmness allows for clearer thinking. Moving with strategy overrides the immediate temptation to react with emotion. Nurses…nurses are the real healers. No matter your age, we must learn to live in the body we have; finding a way to celebrate each stage of this miraculous vessel created uniquely for each of us is a gift. Even when the world remains a 24/7-hair-on-fire-breaking-news mess, mercy and grace are present all around each of us when we purposefully seek it. Mind over matter works because our mind intentionally believes what we feed it. And…feeding hope, truth, faith, and love are critical components for overall healing.

During the course of this journey, I was reminded of the adorable “Advice from a Tree” reader’s theater my second graders acted out each Autumn. This sums it up best:

Stand tall. Act naturally. Enjoy the view. Settle down. Sink deep roots. Make yourself useful too. Change your look for the season. Learn to bend and not break. Drink lots of water. Share with others; don’t just take. Dance and sway gently in the breeze. Be colorful and bright. Letting go can be a lesson, so reach up to the sky for the light!

As this October goes along with the gorgeous brilliant hues, may the barer branches of the trees reveal more sky, thus allowing more light for each of us. As always, please take care of yourself as you care for others, my friends.