October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came,—
The Ashes, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The sunshine spread a carpet,
And every thing was grand;
Miss Weather led the dancing;
Professor Wind, the band….
The sight was like a rainbow
New-fallen from the sky….
~George Cooper (1840–1927), “October’s Party,” c.1887

Nearly everyone who knows me knows that autumn is my favorite season. October is my favorite month. Better writers than I have tried for hundreds of years to capture the season in words, and I don’t think anyone has succeeded yet. I’m not even going to try. Besides, this story is really about my Mom.

Back in the early ‘90’s, I was in the Air Force stationed in Greece. Of course, I loved being there. It is gorgeous there on the blue, blue Mediterranean Sea. But. . .seasons don’t change there in the way they do in the eastern U.S. and I was missing my October colors.

Mom, being Mom, got creative to help me out. One day, when I walked to the post office on base, there was a package waiting for me. A package! This is like gold for someone stationed away from home. And this package was of the finest pure gold.  It was from Mom and was filled with sugar cookies, cut into leaf shapes, and frosted with the colors of October. They were the most beautiful cookies I’ve ever seen, and delicious as well.

A simple tale, but poignant for me in the telling, because it shows the essence of Mom’s love—thoughtful, creative and individualized. And this memory gave me yet another reason to hold to October as my favorite month.

Don’t miss the rest of the Stories My Family Tells as I Write 31 Days this October. Click here to check out the wide range of topics from a wide range of writers.