The leaves are now in their full fall colors, blazing in the trees, dropping to the ground. The landscape is changing from stunningly beautiful to trees which are now stark, with their branches gray and bare. The leaves collect on the ground, a nuisance, which now must be raked and bagged or left to the soil. Such is the way of living beauty, unavoidably linked to age. It fades and creates memories of what was once vibrant. Some of our finest music sings nostalgically of the past, of times never to return. The music is itself a memory. Veteran’s Day invokes memories of those who served our country, both the living and those whom we remember. And this month of November also includes one of our most nostalgic holidays – Thanksgiving. On this day, families gather and reminisce, sometimes welcoming new faces, young and maybe not so young. We gather at table and pray overtly or covertly for one another and for blessings over all to whom we are connected. These prayers and blessings at Thanksgiving are like candles – radiating their heat and light, but only briefly, until they also become memories. November’s Autumn Serenade transitions us from nature’s warmth and light to winter’s cold and dark. And we remember.
