Simple. Mindful. Beautiful.

Autumn is here. The equinox has come and gone. My home is calling to be shuffled, prepared and buttoned up for the winter ahead. It's time to go hearthside. Quiet home. Quiet mind. 

My brother died a month ago today. And while I have only begun to scratch the surface of my grieving, a few things have become startlingly clear to me. They are not revelations. You can read this in any Oprah magazine or find it while browsing the titles in the self-help section at your local book store. But they are palpable to me here and now: 

Simplify what you are doing.

Be mindful of how you do it.

Create beauty.

This is my mantra for autumn. This is my chant. My brother's memorial is in two weeks. Between now and then, my plan is to tend my home and make space for the above. When I return home from his funeral, I'll land in a soft place, get quiet and set about the work that lies ahead, namely, living on my own terms. Simple. Mindful. Beautiful.