In the Catholic Church, the month of November begins by remembering All Saints and All Souls and it ends as Advent (a time of waiting) begins.

It's perfectly timed. The days are growing shorter and colder. Grayness is setting in. We are spending more time inside and at home. As the holidays approach, we think of those who are no longer with us to celebrate.

Facing a long winter, a kind of melancholy settles in, often accompanied by anxiety over the upcoming holidays, finances, and the like.

Maybe that's why, in the U.S., we celebrate Thanksgiving at the end of November.

The best prescriptions for melancholy and anxiety are gratitude and memory. So, for the next few weeks, I'll be working on those.

Note: I realize that I only blogged twice last week, so I'll do four this week.