Make a difference for the lonely

Autumn - the season for preparing meals that warm our homes. The trees change, the horizon darkens early, and the temperature dips. We begin to habitually ease into our seasonal traditions sometimes not even realizing that it's begun.

Traditions. For me, autumn means clearing the garden and making eggplant Parmesan. The cryptic instructions come through my Aunt by way of her father, and his, from halfway across the world in Northern Italy, Milan. Yes, there is a difference in preparations between recipes from the North and the South.

Difference. Autumn can also be the beginning of isolation for people with family challenges, or those in recovery, or others estranged. You may know them very well and not even know that they walk beside you. After my father died, I was one of those happy ghosts with no one to share the holidays with. Family estate problems plagued our relationships and addiction drove deep chasms in our connections.

Connections. As autumn deepens and the leaves fall, stay vibrant. Pull out ugly sweaters, go to crazy Holiday gatherings, reconnect with people you haven't seen. And while you do ask yourself; who's missing? Because you see, we don't just go to family Christmas and work parties to be entertained. We go to nourish each other through the darkness.

Enjoy the change of seasons! Welcome Autumn, indulge in traditions. As you do, be the difference for the lonely. This will ensure that you never find yourself to be "that one who is missing."

Kimberley Schumacher

Crystal Lake