January Calling

My favorite time of the year is autumn, and it has been for as long as I can remember. I love everything about it ... the brilliant burst of color that adorns the leaves on the trees, the crunch of those same leaves under my feet when they fall to the ground, the smell of wood burning in the fireplaces of homes throughout my neighborhood, the donning of jackets and sweaters and fleecy gloves ... I absolutely love the fall season. There's really no other season that carries with it so many wonderful memories for me, especially memories of my dad roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the glowing embers of a fire he built in a pit in the back yard or attending football games at Red Bank High School or jumping and rolling around in the huge piles of leaves I had raked up with my friends. Perhaps that's part of why I love autumn so very much ... because it reminds me of days gone by with loved ones who have since passed on.

We've had a relatively mild summer in Kansas City this year with fewer than average stormy days (thank goodness!!) and temperatures that haven't climbed above 100 degrees even one day. The last several days have been what I refer to as fall teaser days ... cool, cloudless days and almost chilly nights. Until today ... today, it's hot and muggy again, but I know those types of days are numbered for this year because fall is knocking on summer's door. I'm not the only one in my house who prefers the cooler weather over days when the heat and humidity makes it difficult to breathe the minute I walk outside. Yep, my two furry companions Julie and Ollie have an extra spring in their steps on those 70-degree days as well ... yes, even my old girl Julie romps and rolls like a young pup during the season that arrives between the oppressive heat of summer and the bitter cold of winter. My nightly walks with Ollie become a time when I have to hustle to keep up with him when the air is cool and crisp as opposed to dragging him behind me or lifting him into my arms to carry him when the heat of the day lingers into the night.

Last night, I could feel the difference in the air when Ollie and I set out to walk after the sun had floated gently beneath the horizon in the western sky. It wasn't terrible ... the heat and the humidity ... but there was a noticeable difference from our nightly stroll the previous evening. We hadn't walked very long before Ollie began to pant, and soon his little tongue was almost touching the pavement as he tried his best to keep up with my stride.

"It's hot again, isn't it, buddy?" I asked my little wiener dog as he slowly plodded along behind me. "It's not nearly as nice out tonight as it was last night, huh?"

Even though there are times when I feel that Ollie not only understands what I'm saying to him but that he also replies through the expression in his eyes, last night wasn't one of those times. When I looked at my sweet hound dog, all I saw was tiredness and the readiness to go home and rest in our cool, air-conditioned home. After about a half-hour of walking, my poor little guy was done ... done enough that he stopped and stretched out on the sidewalk and refused to walk even one more step.

"Are you done, little guy?" I asked softly as I bent over and gently picked him up and placed him over my shoulder. He licked the side of my face in gratitude for me rescuing him from having to walk on his own, and I smiled as he wriggled and squirmed until he was able to rest his head in the crook of my neck.

"It's OK, Ollie ... I've got you, buddy, and I'll carry you the rest of the way home." I said out loud to my canine pal. "I'm with you on the heat ... I'm ready for fall to get here. Heck ... I think I may even be ready for January to arrive this year ... a little cold and snow sounds awfully good right about now."

The word "January" had no more than escaped my lips until my mind filled with thoughts about a fellow I work with whose name is January. And as so often happens when I begin to think about the people I'm blessed to have in my life, my mind galloped through talks I've had and times I've spent with my friend, Mr. January. I thought of the first time I met him in my posse interview at SHS and how impressed I was by the questions he asked me and the observations he made. I thought of the fun we had when we were on the same team in our office Olympics. I thought of the day I went back to work after my mom passed away and the hug he gave me and the tears that filled his eyes as he expressed his heartfelt sympathy to me. I thought of the emails of appreciation he has sent me for the things I do around the office. I thought of his patience, kindness and compassion during the times I was drowning in the darkness of depression. I thought of his immediate and overwhelming acceptance of me after I told the truth about who I am. I thought of the confidence he places in me every single day ... of the way he makes me smile every single day ... of the love he shares with me every single day.

So, this one's for you JJ ... complete with plenty of ellipses because I know how much you love them. Thank you for being an inspiration to me ... thank you for watching out for me ... thank you, JJ ... thank you for being my friend.