A few final moments with November

November is one of my favorite months, and I regret seeing the 2014 edition reach its end.

It’s not just November that I enjoy. The calendar’s final quarter — October, November and December — is my favorite time of the year. It’s just that November typically fires in me an intense sense of reflection and gratitude.
 
The gratitude part I try to express throughout the year, not just on Thanksgiving Day. November in northern Illinois typically includes the end of the fall harvest. There’s much to be grateful for during the annual process, and I deeply appreciate our nation's farmers.

We also typically experience consistently colder temperatures in November in northern Illinois, and we take seriously the change of seasons. Early October can present some warm days here, which I do value, but November’s temperatures help us develop an appreciation for sturdy boots and heavy sweatshirts.
 
I enjoy walking, both for exercise and relaxation. I particularly enjoy walking during the early evening hours throughout the year. I walk through residential neighborhoods and many of neighbors make frequent use of their indoor fireplaces beginning in November. I always enjoy the fragrant smell of burning wood while completing my walks.
 
October and December are busy months for Lori and me. We celebrate several birthdays in those months, observe a wedding anniversary in October and joyously mark the birth of Jesus Christ in December.
 
November is a comparatively quiet month for us, with the notable exception of the Thanksgiving Day holiday. November provides us a fine opportunity to recover from October’s schedule and prepare, physically and mentally, for December’s hectic pace.
 
I suppose I value November so much because it provides me 30 days to reflect and refresh before I rush through December, celebrate Christmas and welcome a new year.
 
While I hesitate to release November, I realize none of us can slow time’s relentless march. In a few hours November will give way to December and 2014’s few remaining days.
 
I will pause later tonight to offer a final thank you to November, and then I will prepare to embrace December as we move forward, ever forward.

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