Welcome to October! The very first day of this gorgeous autumn month has officially arrived, and apparently, it expects us to applaud.
The trees are wearing a breathtaking display of vibrant orange and yellow, which is a lovely little reminder of the creativity in God’s creation—or just nature showing off while we freeze. Either way, it’s supposedly the absolute best time for a scenic outdoor walk, provided you enjoy inhaling crisp air while questioning your life choices.
Of course, autumn can also be a little bit of a tease. One minute you are basking in a sunny, warm afternoon, and the next, a chilly breeze or a sudden cold rain shower comes chasing after you like it has a personal vendetta. It makes you wonder: has autumn always been this wildly confusing, or is the planet running a fever thanks to global warming… or maybe, just maybe, it’s just the peri-menopause talking?
Either way, this quirky month has a fascinating history because our ancient ancestors were apparently just as bad at math as we are. Did you know October gets its name from octo, the Latin word for “eight”? Yes, back in ancient Rome, before someone decided January and February needed to crash the party, October was actually the eighth month of the year. Brilliant calendar management, Rome. Truly top-tier.
Even with autumn’s erratic mood swings, there is supposedly so much to look forward to right now. The world feels wonderfully alive with seasonal festivities: Oktoberfest tents are finally packing up their giant beer steins, preparations for the glowing lights of Diwali are beginning, and the thrilling countdown to Halloween on October 31st—complete with its ancient roots in Samhain, questionable plastic costumes, dentist-approved candy, and rotting carved pumpkins—is officially underway.
Speaking of Halloween, you can bet I’m planning to lean all the way into the spooky spirit. I actually love watching scary movies, though I haven’t watched any in a long while since my husband completely detests them. But this month? I am finally going to binge a few! Back in the day, I used to go to the theater with my sibling and friends to catch the latest horror flicks, and honestly? To me, they are basically comedies. I’m the one cackling out loud in the dark, especially during the parts that are so ridiculously gory and bloody they loop right back around to hilarious. It’s something I look forward to. That, having a Dungeons and Dragon Session with my sibling, husband
So much to look forward to this month. The world feels so alive, but it also feels thoroughly broken. With all these heartbreaking wars and devastating natural disasters going on. While closer to home, groceries cost about the same as a small luxury sedan and everyone is stressed about bills. In times like these, it is remarkably easy to feel weary, leading us to lean heavily on our faith and pray earnestly for God’s comfort, provision, and peace because we humans are making such a mess of things down here.
Still, finding joy in a chunky sweater, a warm cup of cider, or a good campy horror movie doesn’t mean we are oblivious to the dumpster fire outside. Sometimes, those little pockets of grace are the only things keeping us upright until His kingdom finally gets here and sorts us all out.
What do you look forward to in the month of October? Feel free to comment below!