Today was the first day it truly felt like fall. We live in Los Angeles so, compared to the most of the United States, we don’t really experience the usual changing of the seasons. It has been a long, hot summer with temperatures in the San Fernando Valley going well beyond 100°. For the past few months, not a day has gone by where we haven’t used air conditioning to cool off the house. This is not too far out of the norm for Los Angeles, but for some reason, this summer seemed endless. Today was also the first day our house was an air conditioner free zone. It was cool this morning when my son, The Littlest E, and I ran a couple of errands. Refreshing to feel the fresh breeze on our skin as opposed to wafts of sauna-like air.
I love fall. It may be one of my favorite seasons. Yes, there are only four, yet this one sticks out in my mind. Until we turn the clocks back ending Daylight Saving Time, it’s darker in the mornings. This darkness is comforting, giving the dawn a welcoming, peaceful quality. In Los Angeles, we don’t see the leaves transform from green to yellow, orange, red and brown. We witness little hints here, but nothing like walking down tree-lined streets in the Midwest or back east. That is a breathtaking site, Mother Nature doing her handiwork. It’s one of the things I miss about living in Chicago.
With the advent of fall, comes the mental prepping for the fall holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Halloween is such a fun holiday now that The Littlest E is getting older. As a child and young adult, I loved the holiday, but over the years it lost its luster. I remember one October evening in Chicago back in 1994 that holiday magic reappeared. I was walking from grad school in Lincoln Park to a friend’s house close by and decided to go a way I’d never taken before. It wasn’t that late, but it was dark out. Suddenly, I came upon a house whose entire front was lit up with these amazing jack-o’-lanterns. There must have been well over a hundred illuminated pumpkins in various sizes and designs. They were everywhere. Time ceased to move, as I stood there mesmerized by the magnificence before me. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Incredible. If only iPhones existed back in 1994. To this day, I’m not sure whether what I saw was real or my imagination. I never knew the name of the street I was on and wasn’t able to find it again. That memory magically haunts my mind this time of year.
This year, as last year, we’ll go trick or treating with our friends and their kids. The Littlest E can’t decide whether to be a dinosaur or dragon. Tom and I can’t decide whether we want to be a thematic family or do our own thing. We’re going to be carving pumpkins for the first time and I can’t wait! I wonder if our son will like roasted pumpkin seeds and sticking his hands inside the pumpkins to take out the squishy pulp? Seeing and experiencing Halloween with The Littlest E has given this holiday new meaning and excitement. The same goes for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all. It’s about family, friends, love, food, treasuring the moments we have with one another and being thankful for the blessings in our lives. It’s a wonderful holiday filled with many happy memories. I will always remember our first Thanksgiving as a family. The Littlest E had been home with us from Ethiopia for nearly 4 months. We went over to my brother’s house for turkey dinner and celebrated the evening with his family and their friends. Everyone who hadn’t met our son was excited to see him. Most knew of our long journey to becoming a family and they shared in our joy. We loved spending time with our niece and nephew. A Thanksgiving filled with great food, good company, guitar playing and our son with us for the first of many Thanksgivings to come.
This year, we’ll be spending Thanksgiving weekend with my Mom’s side of the family. It’s been awhile since we’ve done this and it’ll be great to see relatives we haven’t seen for a long time. It’ll be like attending a family reunion and what better time to have it. Some family members have yet to meet The Littlest E and we have yet to meet the newest member of my Uncle’s family. Looking forward to creating new memories for The Littlest E. A couple of values I hope my husband and I instill in our son are the importance of family and tradition. Continuing to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends, those values will take root.
Fall signifies the beginning of the end of the current year. Somehow time goes by incredibly quickly once we hit October. Holidays, birthdays, moving from fall to winter everything seems to accelerate and before we know it, it’s a new year. It all reminds me that time is precious and moments are precious. Already it’s our third fall with our son and I know he’ll grow up before our eyes. Going into this season, I want to make sure we capture as much as we can whether through pictures or video to create living memories for us and for our son.
Melanie, As I hike this fall (something I’ve not done in a long time with such regularity) I am reminded of how much I too, love this time of year – it’s cool mornings and evenings but warm days. The bright sun, bright blue (or smokey) sky along with the bright leaves as they turn. I like the sense that while we savor the last of the warmth it is also time to turn in, make things happen and to reconnect with family and friends. A few years back we started a Thanks – Giving Book to have out each year and invite everyone to write what they are grateful for as the year comes ’round the corner again. What I love the most is the comments from the old and young of the family – the sense of just what you say – family and tradition. The ground we can stand on and go forth from. Love to you and yours. Have fun trick or treating with Little E!
Love what you wrote, Jane-Ellen. Fall is a time to turn in, make things happen and reconnect with family and friends. Love your Thanks – Giving Book, too! What a great tradition. Wishing you all a wonderful fall season. Enjoy the changing of the leaves! Lots of love to you and everyone! xo