I remember a time when saying, Autumn was your favorite season, resulted in people looking at you like you had something on your face. It was the season people didn’t want to see arrive. Yet now, it feels like EVERYONE loves the season.
For me, it is a time of new beginnings, a time for a different kind of beauty to fill our days, the holidays are growing closer, and my red-headed, fair Celtic skin self no longer has to worry about frying like a crisp every time I step foot outdoors. Growing up, it meant that even though I was not all that excited about school starting, there was a chance to begin again. I feel like the world needs that same chance right now. We need to begin again.
This past summer, I found myself busier than I anticipated. My summer started with a trip to Washington D.C. to attend the GIVEN Forum, a Catholic women’s leadership forum, that was not only my first trip since March of 2020 but also the start of a year-long journey to make the Hem of Christ its own stand-alone ministry via the formation of a non-profit. Arriving home from GIVEN, I learned that I was an OSV Innovation Semi-Finalist that would give my ministry an extra boost. It was an exciting, and an incredible amount of work. A new beginning much like the autumn season. It was the summer of ministry, of building something new.
In the midst of all of this, I started to question this blog and what it means. You may remember a few weeks back when I addressed this slightly. This blog has become almost journal-like, and it has turned out to be less academic and more narrative. When I started asking people I know who read this blog (Thanks to you!) if they would like to see me shift gears in the type of information I present and how I present it, I often got a quick NO! I was told this blog humanized their journey, and was a bit of a respite. I was informed that on the internet filled with medical and academic jargon, it is nice to hear the humanity. It was shared with me that this blog gave comfort and a sense of community simply by understanding that the person behind the screen is a fellow sojourner on the dementia journey.
So, with that in mind, we start a new season with a new beginning. This blog will not change drastically and will remain the journalistic narrative it has become, but I do plan on throwing in a few more academic-type posts. I enjoy academic style writing, and it has been too long since I did anything significant. If we are to see a transformation in our world we must work to blend the medical, academic, artistic, clinical, and human spirit. If you have any topics you wish to see me cover please comment below or send me an email.
Until next time, Happy Autumn! Now, go enjoy each moment of beauty this season has to offer.