October Roundup
Heads Up: The roundup does touch on some heavy stuff like grief and loss so just be aware if you’re in a sensitive space.
I went back and forth about what to write about this month. But then I decided to share something near to my heart - a story about a butterfly necklace.
Let me back up. As many of you know in December 2023, my sweet precious dog Apollo passed away. I wish I could have another moment with him, holding his hand on the couch. (He would give me his paw and give me a little smack when he wanted pets). God, I love him. His loss caused me to have deep reflection about what living means. What it is to be alive.
And I think to be alive for me is to feel faith, hope, and love. Joining in those three things. To feel faith in trust. To feel hope in the present. To feel love uniting across differences.
But, I digress. The seasons changed. Slowly, yet all at once, winter left us and spring started. And once spring started, well summer came right after. And all summer, I kept seeing tiny little butterflies. Every time I saw a butterfly, I would think and feel Apollo. Sometimes I would laugh, other times I would let myself cry. Full-on big tears, for my friend, for loss, and for love. I would see my new dog Frey try and catch butterflies, never quite succeeding in grabbing them like she would with the grasshoppers. And I would laugh a little and feel his playfulness.
In September as fall started creeping in, I now had the monarchs to watch. I felt this immense awe, in their trust of their journey. I felt a surrender in my own journey with grief, letting it transform as well. And as surrender started, while looking online at a local store, I stumbled upon a white butterfly necklace. I felt this intuition, this magnetic pull and I purchased it. It’s made by a local jewelry maker (Hen+Bear, little shout-out here - thank you).
Almost everyday, I wear this necklace. It reminds me of faith, hope, and love. It reminds me of grace, that kindness that can be freely given, no strings attached. Because that was Apollo. He loved SO big. And I think that was his lesson to me. Remove strings, meet everyone without judgment.
The reason for this story in our October roundup is October of 2023 was when we realized something was up with our big guy.
Grief brings you back, it’s raw.
I sit with it, surrendering to it, holding my butterfly necklace in my fingers and leaning into grace.
Things I loved this month
🎧 Office Ladies Podcast (wherever you listen to podcasts).
Office Ladies Podcast has been my favourite podcast for the last five years. It has brought me comfort and joy. It’s a podcast for fans of the hit tv series The Office where two of the actresses that played characters on the show rewatch and share. And this month, the rewatch hits the finale. Listening to the tributes that were sent in from others sharing about what this podcast has meant to them has brought me to tears. Such big appreciation for this podcast!
🍂 Fall Walks
Getting outside this month has been a space of solace for me. Listening to the perfect crunch of leaves and still feeling sunshine (yay for lots of sunny October days) has been so soothing.
On saying good-bye to October:
thank you for sunny days, blue skies, fall leaves, gentle walks, and deep contemplation.
Happy, thank-you, more please.
Take good care,
Klaasje