The days have become shorter, with darkness descending sooner and a chill now in the air. Summer days have come to a close, leaves now glow orange, red, and yellow like a seasonal flame. This shift in days, shift in temperature marks a shift in the cycle of the year. All these changes note a time when the veil between this world and the hereafter is the thinnest, this 31^st of October. Samhain, as it is called marks the Pagan celebration of the time when harvest has been collected and those departed are with us closer  than ever, again.

Samhain, celebrated generically in the US as Halloween, has always been my favorite holiday of the year. Even as a child it was not about the candy, or the games, but rather about a certain distinct feel in the air. This year Samhain comes with much more solemnity than in previous years, for me. This summer my grandma, Verna Hoffman, passed away unexpectedly. While this is not the first person whom I have lost, it is the closest relation to whom I have had to say goodbye. My grandmother is now among the company of other departed relations, who I love and miss, like my great Aunt Barb. Both women were strong, beloved individuals, with colorful and formidable personalities. Their corporeal presence may be missing, but now, especially as felt on this day, their spirits dwell close, and their memories are renewed.

My great Aunt Barb was a loving woman, full of life and commitment to family. An amazing cook, I recall the fragrant smell of her home, and the open motherly presence that she bestowed. Most of my memories of her were as a small child, but they lasted. I came to know later that her love was also an acceptance of me and my biracial family, when few in our small town did. I dreamt about her once when I was in college. The dream  was out of the ordinary for me, but was one of comfort that brought forth warm memories of my childhood in her company. Days later, a call from my mother informed me that Aunt Barb had died, at home in her bed. She was the first close relation that I had known to pass away, and thus introduced me to death. Her spirit remained a figure in my life. She is with me.

My grandma, Verna, was really a second mother to me. She left this world tragically as this Summer eclipsed. My memory of her is strong, both from the newness of her passing, and the powerful impression she made on my life. In early childhood my family resided in her home, and I came to know her care and comfort. She was a petite woman, a nurse by trade, and she brought this ethic of care and nurturing to every aspect of her life. In her memory I think of yellow citrine, warm sweaters, and the comforting aroma of dove cooling cream, and fill bodied hugs. Her imprint on me is present in most every moment of my life, from her influence on my spiritually, to how I clothe my person. She is with me.

As Samhain draws near I am comforted in the thought that we are closer to those  in their celestial presence. When I am reminded of their memory I will know it is not just from fleeting thought, but from their presence by me.  

 This Samahain, may you feel the presence of those loved, but gone, brought nearer;  spirits of those missed come close, and may you be nurtured and comforted by their memory and presence this day. They are with you.

Blessings on this sacred day of Samhain.