This week, I had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season (major Starbuck’s girl here). The first sip always tastes like a hug in a cup. It’s sweet, a little spicy, and comforting all at once. Fall itself feels the same way to me- oversized sweaters pulled from the back of the closet, the crisp bite of cooler mornings, leaves changing brilliant shades of red and gold, and the hum of school routines starting back up. There’s a rhythm to it all, familiar yet fleeting, cozy yet bittersweet.
Hospice often feels a lot like Autumn. It’s a season of slowing down, noticing the small beauties- a favorite blanket, a hymn, a laugh between tears. It reminds me that even in life’s final seasons, there’s warmth worth savoring. Grief and gratitude mixed together, joy with just a hint of ache, like cinnamon stirred into coffee.
So this Fall, when I sip my latte (or more accurately, latte’s), I’ll be thinking of those sacred bedside moments- sweet and spicy, fleeting but deeply comforting. Truly, there is a latte to be grateful for.
