As November starts, my social media feeds are filled with so many wonderful posts focusing on thankfulness. As I shared in my last post, there are times when my blinders go up and I forget how much I have to be thankful for. But as November settles in and the holidays grow closer there is also a sadness that this season brings. Anyone who has lost a loved one knows how hard holidays can be. Seeing my mom for the last time the day after thanksgiving and losing her the week before December has had an undeniable impact on the joy these holidays once brought for me. But there is one thing that helps me find peace with my grief, quiet time taking in the beauty of the world around me.

Every fall I looked forward to taking a drive through the mountains. Whether it’s the east coast, the west coast, or somewhere in between, soaking in the beauty of the fall colors away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday causes a wave of peace to wash over me. David, a master playlist maker, has spent countless hours curating the perfect mix of music that only adds to the beauty of the drive…but there is one song on his beloved back roads mix the brings tears to my eyes every time. One song that he graciously lets me listen to on repeat until I’m ready to move on, From This Valley by The Civil Wars. I roll the window down, quietly sing along, and the tears inevitably to start to fall. While all the verses are powerful in themselves, it’s the lyrics of the chorus that speak so deeply to my soul. I’m not super comfortable speaking about my faith, but in these fall months when my continued grief feels so magnified the simple but so powerful words of the remind me that one day I will see my mother’s smiling face again.