Heidi Barr

Mindfulness, if we wanted to give it a simple definition, can be described as a state of active, open attention to the present, observing thoughts and feelings without passing judgment. In dominant culture, it’s something that is easy to talk about, or even aspire to, and harder to put into practice – after all, who has time to be mindful in the midst of to-do lists, meetings, traffic, scrolling the internet, and the myriad of other items that punctuate the busy days of a modern human?

Cover reveal and preorder gift! Peak autumn color in October seems like a great time to talk a little about a book with October in its name. This fall has been unusually warm, much like it was a few years ago when the lilacs bloomed with abandon in the wrong season, though this year, I’ve only seen a few blossoms rather than a full shrub in bloom like in 2024.

the color of gratitude Ten years ago I was let go from a job for the first time. It was completely unexpected, and I wrote a whole book about it.1 Here’s the first page: October of 2016 was brilliant, and I got the call the week the fall colors were at their brightest. Beauty was everywhere. Then, so was destruction, at least in my little world.