November Gratitude

November is typically a quieter month for our little family.  The shorter days and colder temperatures limit our time outdoors, and typical weekday evenings usually end with dinner and passing out on the couch (or passing out on the couch and then dinner--whichever comes first).

On November 1st, my mom and I had one last mother-daughter jaunt--this time to Kent, CT.  On our way, we stopped by a garden shop, followed by a visit to Bulls Bridge and then a tour of the shops in downtown, Kent.  As we left, we stopped by Kent Falls State Park and then drove a few miles north to see the Corwall Covered Bridge.  It was a breezy day but still warm enough to enjoy lunch outside and a stroll to see the beautiful cascading falls in Kent.

During the second week of November, I took a day off from work, so the four of us (Sue, me, Lewie, and his friend, Ryan) could go for a brief hike followed by a delicious lunch at Bell City Diner in Bristol.  (The diner is known for their amazing milkshakes that are stacked with sweet treats like cake, cookies, M&Ms, sprinkles, gummy worms, etc.)  I didn't feel like I burned enough calories during our hike, so I chose to split a cookies and cream shake with Lewie instead of ordering my own.  It was a good choice because I left the diner feeling more stuffed than I do after a Thanksgiving dinner.

Our last November hike was at the Little Pond Boardwalk Loop Trail in Litchfield, CT.   The trail is a favorite of ours, and we've probably walked it during every season.  This time, we captured some standard November photos when most of the trees are bare, but we weren't able to walk around the entire loop as some of the boardwalk was covered by water.  Just this summer, we were commenting on how the water level of the marsh was so low.  This time, we couldn't believe how high and flooded the area seemed to be.  There seems to be no more "normals."  Instead, we simply find ourselves living between two times of the year--dry and wet.

One last goal of mine for the month was to invite Lewie's friends (all four of them) to see the movie Dune.  Since Lewie doesn't get a chance to see his friends often (other than school or playing online), I've made it a mission to get these boys together at least once per month.  Last month they went on a haunted hayride, and this month they went to the movies with my husband.  Each time only three out of the four boys could come (it's hard to make everyone's schedules work), but the three that came had a great time and (from what I heard) enjoyed loading up on popcorn and goodies while they watched the show.

November ended with a yummy Thanksgiving meal, compliments of Whole Foods.  (I'm not very good at cooking meals on my own.)  The turkey and all the sides were delicious, and we had chocolate covered strawberries, apples, & pineapples; carrot cake; cookies; and mini cheesecakes for dessert.  We ended the holiday aware of all our blessings that we take for granted each day, and on this Thanksgiving, in particular, we were really taught a lesson on gratitude.  

To make a long story short, this November, we had a disabled family member, not in good health, struggle with food insecurity and housing.  I won't go into details, but for the past month, we've been calling many hotels, adult residences, assisted living facilities, homeshares, and even homeless shelters to find a warm place for her to live.  From making the phone calls, I've learned that homelessness is a huge problem everywhere, and there are simply not enough beds or affordable housing options for people that find themselves in such a situation.  After dozens of searches and phone calls, we were able to find something temporary to help her live safe and comfortably, but the temporary living situation is just that--temporary--and her poor health continues to deplete her from any sense of joy or hopefulness.

As I'm writing this, I don't know what the future holds for this family member.  Food insecurity, lack or affordable housing, and a possible terminal illness all threaten this person's chance of living a happy or even a dignified way of life.  It's a reminder to us all that we're only one illness or medical condition away from possibly losing everything, and since nothing is ever guaranteed, we must be grateful for today--that is, grateful for any moment that we have food, shelter, family, and good health.  As I end November, I say a prayer of gratitude and another for hope, peace, love, and joy.  Tis the season to "believe" and to trust in God's plan for all of us.