September Thoughts

I have miraculously been granted a moment of peace by the entire family and so it is with great pleasure that I take some time to relax and gather my many scattered thoughts.

September has held a shadow of sadness for me for almost as long as I can remember. The terrorist attacks on 9/11 are seared into my brain. Like many, I’m well past the age where more of my life has been lived after 9/11 than before it. Yesterday marks ten years since my Uncle Ricky left this earth. My Dad put it best when he said, “Doesn’t seem like 10 years but some days it feels like forever.” I’ve now spent 1/3 of my life without someone that means so much to me. My husband struggles in September too. His brother’s birthday was in September and every year that passes is a reminder of a life cut short.

Yet, I can’t discount the gifts that come with September’s march across time. The cooler weather is truly a Godsend, especially in South Louisiana. While other parts of the country are craving the smell and flavor of pumpkin spice, we’re itching to fire up the gumbo pots. We watch the weather forecast praying for enough cool days in a row to justify heating up the entire house all day. We jumped the gun a little in our house this year and had to crank the AC down while we ate our gumbo in shorts. 10/10 would do it again. It’s also time to make my mustard green soup as many times as I can.

As an adult, September has brought with it a feeling of calm before the storm. Holidays now mean balancing work and family and trying to keep all of your ducks in a row so you don’t go insane. I think that’s why Halloween has become one of my favorite holidays. There’s less cooking, less to buy, and fewer logistics to sort out. Also, candy corn pumpkins are dope and you candy corn haters are just gonna have to deal with it. I start decorating for Halloween in September so I can drag the joy out a little longer. (Don’t worry though, the yard decorations are lined up for Thanksgiving and Christmas too.)

Today I took advantage of the beautiful weather and finished planting my fall garden. It doesn’t look like much but it’s my biggest planting to date. I’m pretty proud of how far I’ve come since my first attempt in March 2020. With any luck I’ll have mustard greens, beets, carrots, cabbage, green onions, peas, and green beans to fill our bellies.

This September I had the added blessing of spending some quality time with my brother. The kids call him Uncle Poo and he’s quite proud of the title. We got two whole days together. Something we haven’t had since he left for the military almost five years ago. It was something that I definitely needed. We had brunch, went antique shopping, had ice cream, toured the local Naval ship, and visited both sets of our parents together. We even got to go see Eric Clapton in concert. As an adult with my own family it’s easy to forget how great it is to be around people who’ve known me forever. People who know me as more than post baby me.

My peace is slowly being intruded on by the kids. I can’t say I really mind though. This short break has been enough to recharge my batteries and give me the energy I need to finish my Sunday chores. Time to feed everyone lunch then start on the mountain of laundry. A Mom’s work never ends right? Maybe if I’m lucky I can find time to make some cookies. Fingers crossed.