Tonight's picture was taken in November of 2007, on Thanksgiving Day to be specific. We took Mattie to Boston that year to celebrate the holiday with Peter's family. We got all the cousins together on the front porch and captured this moment in time. Mattie was the youngest in the group, but was determined to keep up with the others.
Quote of the day: Some things cannot be fixed; they can only be carried. Grief like yours, love like yours, can only be carried. ~ Megan Devine
This morning after dropping my dad off at his memory care center, I ran a few chores and then was able to sit down and start crafting the Foundation's November newsletter. Later in the afternoon, I took my mom to Starbuck's. I know most of the baristas at this location and so many of them are absolutely lovely and will walk orders over to our table and pre-make things before I even order them. In addition, we ran into a local author we have come to know at this Starbuck's. She stopped by to chat and we talked about where she gets her inspiration for her novels. Needless to say, this Starbuck's is like my Cheers (the TV show). I honestly can't go to a Starbuck's without thinking of my very first mental health client in graduate school. This fellow was young, bright, and very depressed. He graded and evaluated his life through the window of a Starbuck's. He felt that everyone inside the store was happy, connected with others, and leading a full life. Whereas my client felt he was on the outside and he so longed to be one of the people on the 'inside.' This man's comments and emotions remain with me even today! Now that I am dealing with my own issues, his comments are actually quite profound for me. However, what I can attest to is whether one is sitting inside or outside of Starbuck's, our issues and problems follow us.
Clearly we are decorated for Thanksgiving! But while walking our neighborhood, I noticed that so many people have dispensed with their fall themed items and pumpkins, and instead have Christmas trees and lights up already! Each year it gets earlier and earlier. I certainly love seeing the lights and it brightens our dark nights, but I also think it is important to live in the present moment and I don't know how one does that when celebrating two distinct holidays at the same time.
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