"...remember, remember, this is now, and now, and now. Live it, feel it, cling to it."

Nothing says fall like warm-mystic-caramel-cinnamon-apple-cider. As the in-house artist, I convinced my boss to shorten the name of our seasonal beverage to "Mystic Apple Cider"... besides, it wouldn't fit on the sign.

My customers got me excited about fall yesterday. We were very busy, but something about the Halloween-esque moon pie lollipops, taste-testing our makeshift cider concoction, and the bittersweet aroma of a freshly brewed pot of pumpkin spice coffee filled me with life.

My attitude and everything shifted, a drastic change from mere hours prior. With my co-worker laughing at my inability to be artistic with dry erase markers, I found my face contorting into what I believe was a smile. I was honestly afraid I would never feel that way again after what happened this week; I was in shock, nauseated, scared.

I suppose I needed to allow myself time to adjust to the knowledge that this is life, it's real, and realize we are human. I cannot allow myself to wallow in my misery or I'll miss the changing colors of the leaves and everything for that matter. Everything that makes life worth living. I'll make "beauty out of sorrow" dammit.

Today I'm going to take my charcoal pencils and sketchbook outside and find that pathway that is closed off by a gate with "No Trespassing" signs posted around it (which sounds like an open invitation for me to explore it). I'm ready to move on and enjoy life, experience today, live now.