Principally Speaking

November is a quiet, unassuming month and enjoys a rite of its own. It does not boast October’s anxious anticipation of autumn with the promise of cooler weather, incredible crimson and orange fall color and the excitement of harvest and Halloween. It also lacks the magic and sparkle of December with its crisp, cold, pre-Christmas shivery mornings. November skies bestow watery sunshine mixed with blustery gray clouds. The last of the leaves cling recklessly to the trees waiting for a big gust of wind to send them flying and twirling to the ground.

This is the month that families prepare to come together and speak of past events and cherished memories. It is a month of reflection.

On Thanksgiving Day, we traditionally gather with family and friends to count blessings and give thanks for all the important things in life. This tradition is patterned after the pilgrims’ first

Thanksgiving. Even with the hardships they endured, they assembled with members of the Massasoit tribe to bow their heads in prayer for the harvest’s bounty and for their kinsmen gathered ‘round who survived the voyage and first winter in the new land.

Gather some books to read around the fireplace. Add a cup of hot cocoa to make for a cozy evening. National Children’s Book Week falls on the third week of November. There are several favorites to choose from to celebrate the holiday spirit. Kids will enjoy The Polar Express, The Velveteen Rabbit , Cranberry Thanksgiving, The Mitten, Arthur’s Thanksgiving or The Nutcracker. Search for your own titles at the public library with your child. The above recommendations are great read alouds with classic illustrations that will make story reading fun. Spend the month enjoying the gift of being together. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.