At November's door

November is upon us and there is no avoiding it now as it begins on Tuesday. Today on another crisply cool but magnificent sunny day, I went for another walk at the Mont-Royal Park and saw that fall is at an end. Some remaining islands of coloured leaves are surrounded by empty trees, the tall ones black and bare framing the younger ones who are still fighting sleep. On my balcony my two flower pots that were this summer full of reds and violet colours are now dried up. Some of the vines are still struggling to stay alive after the first frosts, but I will no longer water them, I need to let them go even though it breaks my heart. I become attached to my plants, they are alive to me and it is always very sad to let them freeze and go.

November is the month of death and of the dead and so it is a good time to detach oneself from the that which cannot survive, that which leaves us no hope. To reflect upon it, value it and then turn around and look at the future. And this year for me, November is a month of new beginnings, as I now truly feel settled and accepted in the job I started less than two months ago, as I receive my new sofa which means a totally new decor, new paint on the walls, new outlook and lightness of being. New haircut in two weeks. Complete peace and forgiveness to someone who hurt me a long time ago. And to top it off, my sister is visiting me right at the end of November so it is a joyful month after all.