Happy Halloween & How About that Immune System!

Well, its Halloween! Even in Boston, kids of all ages dress up and pretend to be something or someone else, and then ask you to give them candy for their efforts. Love that. This year, Den is Dracula...and a very scary one, if I do say so myself. Annie is a bumble bee...even though she was going to be ghost for pretty much this entire week and only changed her mind at the last minute. Got to love that too. Em dressed up as a scary witch and I respect that :) And of course, Ben was himself as he carried little Brigham around.

Yesterday, we went on a hay ride at Wilson Farms, and it was the first Halloween thing I have done in a long time that I actually enjoyed. The whole scary holiday thing doesn't really suit me since I get scared so easily! The sun was out and it was so much fun being with Em, Den, Annie, Brigham, and Duncan (Den's friend) as we passed the hay rolls that were decorated as funny spiders and drove through the tunnel with all its decor of spooky bats, ghosts, spiders, etc.

The air smelled so fresh and fallish as we drove and I couldn't help wishing that fall would never pass onto winter. It's amazing to me that leaves never seem to bore me. Every step on a pile of leaves, comes with so much pleasure as I hear the crunching sound of the red, yellow, orange, and brown little ones beneath my feet. And though I know I should feel bad, even as an adult I just love to run through a pile of leaves and scatter them everywhere. Leaves aren't meant to be in a pile...they are meant cover the earth!

Yesterday and today have also reminded me to be grateful for good health. Don't feel sorry for me because I've been sick. I certainly don't feel sorry for myself. The experience has forced me to be still and to ponder several things that I haven't allowed myself the time to think about lately. Somewhere between 2 and 6am this morning, as I alternated between blowing my nose, drinking water, climbing the stairs to the washroom from the basement, and then hitting the bed again, laying on my back and looking up at the ceiling, ...I had a pretty neat experience. Well first, I thought something very funny. My independent self thought, "I just want someone to take care of me and go get me some hot lentil soup and make my headache go away!" And yes, I did feel kind of woozy crazy, but after my headache left, I felt a wonderful peace...one that invited me to review my life for the last bit.

Quite clearly to my thoughts came the many simple and small things I am grateful for: a bed, a closet to finally hang my clothes in, a wonderful family that puts up with me, holidays, tissue paper, blankets, my eyes, heaters, my sister Emily, my brother Ben, the opportunity to think, and the ability to smile. As this happened, I was reminded of things I should make amends, and I was filled with a repentant spirit. Gratitude for the Savior and for the Atonement came next and then peace again came over me.

It wasn't a huge experience or one I feel is too special to share. It just reminded me that I need to take time to be still, to express gratitude, to make right the things I may have done wrong. As I was laying there, I started thinking about the immune system...I told those little white blood cells to hang on and bring me through :) and then I realized how crazy I am! Oh, how I love the human body...at Halloween time or another time for that matter. Thanks for allowing me to share!