All Soul's Day

My mom passed 11 years ago on this day, All Soul's Day. It was unseasonably warm on the days leading up to her death. I remember the boys playing in the leaves in t-shirts and shorts. After her wake, I stepped outside into the dark and the sky was lighting up. The weather was starting to break, but to me it felt like a celebration: the spirits were rejoicing in their good fortune.
I wrote about my beautiful mom here.

1. I walked yesterday with someone I don't know very well. It was the morning of the first hard frost and the world was all a-sparkle. There were photo opportunities everywhere, but my friend was talking about something important to her, so my camera stayed tucked away. Later in the day, I saw that another friend had captured the morning's beauty and I am grateful that she did.

photo by Suzanna Kamphuis

2. Kelly's predictability. God, how I love this boy!
3. Making the decision to surrender to my sleep challenges. It just needs to be this way right now, I guess.
4. The smell of coffee.
5. The oil blend Jeni made for me.