Rabbit rabbit! Let my favorite month of the year begin.
While I was driving home from a long day in Pasadena on Sunday night, I was surrounded – engulfed, even – by an autumn storm. Those are rare around here; rain of any kind is the exception to the rule in Los Angeles. I saw the beauty in the chaos, ever aware of the slick pavement accompanied by long-awaited rain. As I drove, a few poetic lines (if I may say so myself) swam around in my head:
City lights gush like watercolors, seeping through the storm’s torment
Muddying the earthless streets
Afraid I might lose the words, I pulled over at a Burger King to hastily type them into my phone. There’s nothing quite like pulling into a more-brightly-lit-than-the-rest-of-the-world parking lot in the “pouring” rain to deposit your thoughts. If it weren’t for the more-than-occasional car whooshing by, it could have felt like a Stephen King novel.
Halloween was a bit less chaotic, weather-wise. It was, as it always is, the coldest night of the foreseeable future (of course), but we ventured out to West Hollywood to take over the town with hundred of thousands of other people. So, we made up for the lack in weather excitement and stayed warm while fighting our way down Santa Monica Boulevard amongst the Elevens and Harley Quinns. If you live in LA, or happen to be in LA for Halloween, this is the end-all-be-all of events to celebrate with. I thought Halloween in Waikiki was crazy.
No.
Of course we found Voldemort He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. What do you think we are, Muggles?
Now that Halloween is over, and the Starbucks holiday drinks are here, I find that, once again, time is moving too fast. Halloween is a favorite holiday in this house – Sohrab’s, anyway. I find it hard to play favorites. Instead, I’m just happy from October 1st to January, excited to partake in each version of merriment. I could say that November is my favorite month of the year; it’s right in the middle of all this, it’s my birthday month, etc. But, alas, that might be unfair to October and December.
Despite the inherent differences of the three main holidays that we celebrate, they each bring me the same amount of joy. I wake up giddy each morning, no matter if there are Halloween decorations or Christmas decorations up in and around our home. I am a BIG proponent of celebrating each holiday one at a time (Thanksgiving is next; no Christmas music until December 1st!) because, in my opinion, they each deserve the same amount of attention. Why rush Christmas? it’s just around the bend. Let’s take a moment for Thanksgiving, for family, for community. Behold, the Starbucks cup that instantly sparked controversy when it was debuted today:
Why controversy, you ask? This is normally around the time that Starbucks would debut their red cup for the holidays, which sparked its own upset last year when it was made to emulate winter more than Christmas. This shift is a bold move on Starbucks’ part, and one that I’m fully behind; the holiday season is about family, community, and love. Starbucks has made their statement the best way they can: by putting their message on the cup that warms hands and hearts across the world.
All of this culminates beautifully into my goal for this month: to be thankful. I challenge you to do the same. It’s not always easy to roll out of bed with a smile on your face, but if you try, it can change your entire day – and make it easier for tomorrow.
So, join me! What are you thankful for?
