Anyway, there's this whole scene in the book where one of the characters talks with another one of the characters about how people who have died can still find ways to pseudo-interact with people who are still alive. (And yes, I'm leaving out their names because I think everyone should read the book and I don't want to give anything away.) Then, in the afterword, there's this rather beautiful quote:
"That's death and life, you see. We all shine on. You just have to release your hearts, alert your senses, and pay attention. A leaf, a star, a song, a laugh. Notice the little things, because somebody is reaching out to you. Qualcuno ti ama. Somebody loves you."
I love fall. It is my favorite season. Anyone who lives in the South knows all about how we have a season that I like to call "fake fall." The mornings will be a little chilly, but by noon it is really hot. It's like fall is a really cute boy and mornings are his way of flirting with you. But 90 degree afternoons remind you that he's really being elusive and playing hard to get. While "fake fall" can be annoying, I love it because "fake fall" mornings embody a certain hope that days not defined by oppressive heat are getting close.
Identifying a "fake fall" morning is quite easy. Any Southerner knows you have to leave your air conditioner on during "fake fall" unless you want to be really warm in your house when you get home from work. This results in your bedroom being a tad on the cold side when you wake up in the mornings. Not so cold that you don't want to get up, but cold enough to justify snuggling down and hitting snooze one extra time. Some people might find this annoying, but I love it--for the same reason I mentioned earlier, it lets me know real fall is close.
This morning when I woke up I was cold. The chill in the air of my room brought a huge smile to my face as I snuggled deeper into bed and welcomed "fake fall." The welcoming was confirmed minutes later when I checked the thermostat in my house and it read 68. I got really excited, did a little dance by my bed, and thanked Jesus for the cool morning, which, since it was the first one of the year, totally made my day. The first morning of "fake fall"--along with the fact that my school had scheduled my students for MAPS testing today (which meant I got to read a book all day!)--meant I left my house for school in a remarkably good mood.
It wasn't until I got to school and was writing a pass for a student that I realized that today is September 8th. My dad's birthday.
I'm not entirely sure how theologically I'm supposed to think about the whole Charlie-St.-Cloud-dead-people-pseudo-interacting-with-alive-people thing, but I know that I like to think it's true. That it happens. When I realized today was my dad's birthday, I know I felt like "fake fall" happened today just for me. That it was his way, his little thing, to tell me he loves me. And it made me remember that if I ever feel alone, I really shouldn't. Because my dad's still with me. And he's also with my Heavenly dad--I think secretly plotting ways to make me remember that they're around and that they love me--enough to start a new season, which in my book is kind of a lot.
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