Hello, October! Nice to see you again. You and your fall friends are some of my favorite months, with your American football, your bounty of pumpkins and apples, and your tease of cooler temperatures.
I have to say, this year, when it comes to “sweater weather” (oh, who am I kidding, I really mean “possibly-3/4-sleeve-weather-maybe”), I think you’ve forsaken the teasing and opted for outright neglect. You know I despise putting up outdoor Christmas decor in 70-degree weather. Decorating for Halloween in 95+ degrees? Nothing short of dehydrating, disgusting, and despicable. Not nice, buddy.
But your stifling shenanigans did not defeat us. We endured. In an all-day effort with lots of breaks and Gatorade, we succeeded hanging ghouls and ghosts, scattering skeletons, and erecting the light-up triple-stacked jack-o'-lanterns we scored at an estate sale earlier this year. Our yard has been Halloween-ified!
I wearily gleefully look forward to all you have in store. You’ve certainly gotten a lot busier the last few years, but I’m ready!
I think.
Your cold-craving fan,
Wendy
I think I can. I think. I can.
So much about modern life seems like an endurance test — an on-going challenge to juggle increasing demands, frantic activity, and chronic malaise. I sludge through unforgiving morning routines that somehow never execute with consistency. Annual celebrations feel like they reoccur every few weeks (this again, already?), adding overwhelm to the existing pressure to orchestrate it “just right”. We’re a nerdy family that likes to stay informed. But the incessant media squawk of political campaigns, election “cycles” that have neither beginnings nor ends, and other impending doom just adds to the cacophony of the daily go-go-go. There’s no shortage of responsibilities, desires, and “life stuff” to keep on keepin’ on through.
The last third of each year is especially busy in our family — fall festivals, costume parades, multiple birthdays, flu and covid vaccinations, anti-bullying and Red Ribbon week school events, doctor appointments, Christmas gift chatter…. I find myself equally wanting to: 1.) jumpstart planning to avoid chaos and “maximize” enjoyment, and 2.) close my eyes, hold a deep breath, and hide out ‘til January.
The universe must sense my rising stress levels because fittingly, the latest monthly Creative Mornings newsletter hit my inbox this week, announcing its October theme: Endurance.
Endurance is the unwavering flame that burns within us, illuminating a path through darkness and uncertainty. It is the quiet strength that emerges when challenges test our limits, urging us to push beyond what we thought possible. Endurance is not a mere moment but a relentless spirit that whispers, "keep going" when the world feels heavy.
And when it feels like a race just to keep up.
I realize I am in a privileged position to endure not horrific tragedies or lack of necessities (knock on all wood), but rather the less appealing sides of the perks and nice-to-haves. I bring at least half of my modern life woes on to myself. But stress is stress, no matter how good we do or don’t have it. If you’re feeling it, it’s real.
So here we are, another (or the same) season to “push beyond” and endure all the things coming at us.
Relentless parenting, elevated performance, and polar pursuits.
Curious who else in the world was “enduring”, I found people making strides through holidays, with Hershey’s(?), and in historical reenactments.
What do bitter cold and bitter chocolate have in common with “marathons”? Yep, endurance.
With Halloween’s bounty of treats sans tricks approaching, a mom in Philadelphia discussed how she endures holiDAYs that have evolved into marathon seasons full of gifts and “planned magic”. She questions whether “parent-facilitated specialness” really is joyful, something I painfully wonder myself especially when my best mom-intentions go awry.
For marathoners, bikers, and athletes: Researchers discovered dark chocolate might improve cognitive and endurance performance, seeing benefits in a recent randomized controlled trial. They studied cyclists in experimental conditions to see what the bittersweet treat would do for those experiencing tissue oxygen levels too low to adequately sustain bodily functions. Known as hypoxia, it occurs in higher altitudes when oxygen delivery to the exercising muscles1 and the brain2 is limited. I’m neither runner nor cyclist, but I do love me some dark chocolate and will be sure to pack extra next time I jaunt to the mile-high city.
If you’re like me, jonesing for it to feel cold outside, you can live vicariously through adventurers Ben Fogle and Dwayne Fields as they endure harsh conditions in their dramatic marathon to Antarctica. In Endurance: Race to the Pole, the two explorers step back in time to “recreate the early 20th-century expeditions of (Robert Falcon) Scott, Ernest Shackleton and (Roald) Amundsen”. The first episode of the documentary series dropped this week. Grab a blanket and check out the chilling trailer below:
I appreciate stories of anyone “winning” the long game, overcoming incredible obstacles, sticking with it, etc., etc. — the dedicated parents, the persistent scientists, the determined explorers. The believers who crusade unflinchingly. Creative Mornings reminds me:
Life's journey is marked by peaks and valleys, and it is endurance that sustains us during the uphill climbs. It teaches us that setbacks are not defeats but stepping stones towards growth and resilience. With each obstacle we conquer, our spirits grow stronger, and our determination becomes unshakable.
I know this in my head. Yet, these days I’m also likely to chock inspiration and encouragement up to a “that’s nice”, shrug my shoulders, sigh, and feel sorry for myself. Enduring is part of the journey, and I may be enduring, but not always with the cheeriest of attitudes.
Still, I find applicable hope in their message for getting through these modern times:
In a world that values instant gratification, endurance is a reminder that the most rewarding victories are born from patience and perseverance. It is the ability to rise, even when we fall, and to embrace the transformative power of persistence. So, let us celebrate the tenacity that resides within us, for in the face of adversity, it is endurance that leads us towards the summit of our potential.
Keep climbin’. :)
Sinex, J. A. & Chapman, R. F. Hypoxic training methods for improving endurance exercise performance. J Sport Health Sci. 4, 325–332 (2015).
Mira, J. et al. Neuromuscular fatigue of cycling exercise in hypoxia. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 52(9), 1888–1899 (2020).