Remember November

The ghosts and goblins have come and gone

A new month starts with the dawn

This is the month we most give thanks

For veterans, voting, and (fill in the blanks),

Please don't rush through this month November,

Take your time so you can remember,

Everyone you are most thankful for,

Feeling thankful for them is not a chore.

by S. Donald

Welcome to November, the most rushed through without acknowledging it month. It seems we go directly from Halloween to Christmas in a rushed haze barely sparing a thought for any of this month's events. Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving are all pretty important days but seem to be an afterthought.  How hard our ancestors fought for the right to vote, and some people in other areas of the world still don't have that right. Yet how many of us simply blow it off because either it's not an "important" election such as for president or because we don't like any of the candidates. Well I'd say every election is important because it gives each of us a chance to send a message. Even if the candidate we chose doesn't win, someone notices that x number of people don't agree with the person who won. Doesn't that help (at least in theory) send a message that there is important work to do in bringing all points of view into play? That may be too simplistic for some people's taste but hey, I'm just expressing my opinion which I have every right to do largely because of the people we honor on Veterans Day. Those brave men and women who gave service to our country so that we might all be able to sit around reading blogs where others share their thoughts on any subject they like from the comfort of our cozy homes. That's a pretty important day! Then there is Thanksgiving which has been diluted to be an excuse to over eat, over drink, watch football and plan Christmas shopping strategy. I hope we all pause in our indulging to be thankful for all that we have, material things and food but also our friends and family. The people who help make our lives as rich and full as they are. This is another important day!  So we have 30 days to try and keep a slower pace and bear in mind all we have to be thankful for. Let's not let the month go by in a blur, but live it one day at a time savoring the feeling each event brings.