There have been a lot of words in my head since the first of this month concerning what I wanted to say about November. However as the days went by, my thoughts changed from Pollyanna-ish to dark and back again. I kept trying to think of a title that contained alliteration such as November Nuances or November in the North. In the middle of one night, the title The Dance of November came to me and I had a good lead paragraph, but I didn't write it down. In the morning the title remained, but not a word of the paragraph showed up in my brain.
Not until yesterday afternoon, when I was walking across our lawn with the dog, did the right words pop into my head. The sun was shining and everything seemed golden. The lawn was bright green and the creek was rushing. It felt good to be out in the nippy air with the dog by my side.
I sat on a bench by the creek and everything seemed right with the world. The term yin and yang seemed to fit what my moods have been this month, but I had to do some research to make sure I was thinking of it correctly. I was. The term deals with opposites and this month is a reminder, especially this year, of what has happened in history in November.
In 1963 I was sitting in my senior English class with Mr. Hill who was substituting for our regular teacher. The high school secretary came on the PA and said that President Kennedy had been shot and killed in Texas. We all looked at each other and were speechless. Mr. Hill gazed at all of us and said, "Let us pray." We bowed our heads and the room was silent.
That weekend was one of being glued to our black and white television sets to catch all the news. A high school dance was canceled along with college football games. On Monday I went to my friend Jean's house to watch the funeral. It was the beginning of a different time. The innocence in our lives was gone.
November in many ways reminds me of March, with weather that can either be like a lamb or a lion. The great lakes can get ferocious and such was the case on November 10, 1975 when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down in Lake Superior with all 29 crew members. November has always been a treacherous time to be on the great lakes. This month we had our first snow and then a wind storm with power outages, but it was nothing compared to the storm on Lake Superior in 1975. The song by Gordon Lightfoot, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald tells the story of that ship wreck.
November is a transition month when nature is at its most subtle. The colors that wowed us in October have turned to a burnished brown. Yet there are bits of color if we look closely. Red berries on dark branches, a last yellow leaf in the creek, the green of the pine trees or a bright scarf on a child. There is a nip in the air, but there is a coziness to the house. Knit lap blankets and quilts come out of the attic. The fire in the wood burner radiates a special warmth.
The month gives me an excuse to cuddle up with a blanket and a cup of tea. I like to read a book in a comfortable chair with a fire in the fireplace. For me November is a peaceful month before the holidays hit with full force.
I love the years when our family gathers at our house for Thanksgiving dinner. It is my favorite holiday as there is a comfort in the good food and that we can all be together. The grandchildren are growing and changing and on that day I am especially thankful for the part they play in our lives.
The yin and yang of the month is different for everyone. Gray days and rain can be depressing. Events in our lives that make us sad are the yin. Thinking of life and its fullness can be up lifting and thus the yang. November is a time to step back and see how we can stand up to the weather that blows our way. We can not have light without shadow. It is a part of who we are the lives we live.
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vST6hVRj2A
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