October Magic

When I was a child, October was my favorite month. I loved Halloween and the special crispness and sparkle of the early-fall days. All month I’d live in a state of high excitement and dread going to sleep for fear I’d miss something–a visit from a talking owl, maybe, or a witch flying by on her broomstick.

When you’re an adult working full time in an office, it’s easy to lose sight of the world’s wonder, to be overwhelmed by stress and grinding routine, so this year I’m trying to rediscover the magic of October. I’m trying to spend less time on my phone and computer and more time smelling the tea olive, picking bouquets of goldenrod, collecting acorns, cracking pecans, carving pumpkins, lighting candles, and looking up at the moon.

Tonight I took a stroll around town so I could appreciate my neighbors’ Halloween displays. They really go all out. The dark porches and yards were resplendent with orange twinkle lights, pumpkin-headed scarecrows, fake tombstones, and the ghosts made from sheets. It was so much fun admiring everything, to be out under the stars in the still-warm October air, to have escaped from my office, to be free, even if just for a little while.