September is a month of meaning for me. Some of the most amazing and most heartbreaking moments of my life happened during this month.
Amazing ~ My husband and I got married on September 6. Such a magical day.
Heartbreaking ~ Anniversary of September 11. We were living in NYC at the time and while we were not directly involved (thank goodness), we felt the effects. We could see the smoke from the towers, we could smell the fumes, and we saw the armed guards surrounding subway stations for months after.
Amazing ~ Our beautiful daughter Mia was born on September 22.
Heartbreaking ~ Onset of my severe PostPartum Depression occurred the moment I gave birth.
Amazing ~ My husband’s birthday is September 10.
Amazing ~ Mia is now school age, so every September means back to school time for her.
While September is a powerful month for me, I have always viewed it as an opportunity to start fresh. September means going back to school, one of my favorite times of the year. An opportunity to learn new things, explore the world, and create new meaning.
September is a metaphor for life. There will always be ups and downs; incredible times and distressing moments. This is life. Full of both polar opposite feelings at any given instant. My personal goal is to have many more periods of joy than sadness, and that is what I strive for everyday. It also helps me realize that it’s up to me to find balance within it all. Care for myself to get through the tough times and better enjoy the celebrations.
September is full of hope. The realization that for every moment of sadness, there is an amazing moment of happiness right around the corner.
I remember our wedding day vividly. We decided to get married on the beach. For many people, early September means the end of beach days; for me it means some of the most marvelous moments on the beach. The waves are churning, the sky is a deep blue, and the air is cool. When we got married, a hurricane had passed by just days before our big day. There wasn’t much damage, yet the ocean clearly felt the impact. The result was the most remarkable surf. During our ceremony the waves were fierce and crashing to the shore. It provided an incredible soundtrack to our ceremony.
When I think of September, I think of those waves. Equal parts beauty and intensity. Opportunity for a fresh start with every new wave.
September’s birth stone is the sapphire. I have a few pieces of jewelry with this striking stone. They represent our wedding day, my husband’s birthday and our daughter’s birthday. They also represent those waves. The deep, translucent blue of the powerful ocean. When I look at them, I feel an instant calm. I am reminded of all the beauty in my life. I’m reminded that amid the chaos of the crashing waves, there is intense beauty and peace. Hope that behind every wave there is fresh, calm, beautiful blue water.
Power, beauty and hope. My ode to September.
Filed under: Health, Hope Notes, Motherhood, PerinatalMoodDisorders, Self-Care, Strengths Perspective, Stress Reduction
Hey Elizabeth , Its funny I can remember the exact thing I was doing when the attacks took place on 9/11 . And it was a time in my life when I living destructively but I will tell you, seeing those bulidings fall and the people jumping out of the windows struck something deep in my soul I was destroiyng my body and mind with drugs and Alcohol which was and act of attempting sucide on a daily basis. And these people were fighting with all they had to survive and some just couldnt take the pain and decided to free themselves . It made think about life so differrently my compassion for it , I beleive that as tragic as it was 9/11/ was the beginning of me respecting life and wanting to live better than I was doing . My prayers continue to go out every one who was affected by that tragedy . So in closing I just wanted to let you know that you are missed here in the Newark office and I am now a speaker for BMS and will be sharing my story wtih people who are infected and affected with HIV and Aids.
Yours truly
Lynnnette Blount