On Grief and Grieving-October 2026

October 1, 2026

Thursday, October 1, began with an unusually late start for me. I didn’t get out of bed until 8:30 AM, then made my way into the kitchen to turn on the coffee pot. Through the patio doors, I was greeted by plenty of sunshine, blue sky, and intermittent clouds, a pleasant opening to October.

The morning temperature was 65°, with 79% humidity and a noticeable southwest breeze. I enjoyed my coffee out on the deck, although whenever the sun emerged from behind the clouds, it became almost too warm to remain seated there. Frank left to return home this morning, and after several days of more activity than usual, I settled into the living room recliner.

Unfortunately, I felt unusually drained from the time I got up. Most of the day passed with me watching television and drifting in and out of sleep. Even getting out of the recliner sometimes required more effort than I felt I could muster.

At about 5:34 PM, I finally persuaded myself to return to the deck. I wanted to get up and do something, partly because I was concerned that sleeping so much during the day would leave me wide awake tonight. It was 78°, with 62% humidity and a robust southwest breeze at about eight miles per hour.

I had experienced some uncomfortable chills last evening and again this morning, although by late afternoon I was comfortable sitting outside in just a T-shirt. The unusually strong weakness, however, remained a concern. With my catheter and the recent chills, I was advised to seek urgent medical attention.

As dinner approached, I had little energy or inclination to prepare anything. My plan was to look through the pantry and find something simple. For all the pleasant weather outside, this first day of October had been spent largely in the recliner, hoping to regain some energy.