



I always look forward to the vernal equinox - it means the days get longer and longer. And while autumn is my favorite season, I'm always a bit sad when the autumnal equinox is upon us. It seems to be a time to get ready. Nature changes so quickly. It reminds me to look closely at the world every day and take a mental snapshot - imprint the sights and sounds and smells in my memory. And at the same time, these heralds of autumn bring back delightful memories - crunching in the leaves while walking home from school... pumpkins appearing everywhere... the smell of leaves... play time cut short by the darkness... hot cocoa to warm the tummy.
But autumn always brings back memories of Mom - & her diagnosis of cancer. A friend's mother recently passed away. She was in her 70's, an age my mother never got near. And what is clear to me watching my friend grieve, is that losing someone you love is never easy. Circumstances are different, some endings come fast or slow, early or after many years on the earth... but the grief is always the same. The loss is always deeply felt. The question is always the same; how do I fill this big empty hole that has appeared in my world? I feel for my friend as she grieves her mother's passing, and hope that she knows she's not alone.