The Final 62: making room for what’s next

October has a way of making us pause.

The leaves begin to change, the mornings feel a little different, routines begin to settle into a rhythm, and suddenly we realize how quickly the year has moved. It feels like yesterday we were welcoming January with new intentions, new plans, and maybe even a few resolutions.

And now, here we are: the final quarter of the year.

From October through December, there are 62 working days remaining in 2026, after the federal holidays. Sixty-two days to finish what we started, adjust what isn’t working, prepare for what is changing and perhaps make room for something new.

Sixty-two days may sound like a short amount of time, but think about how much can happen in 62 days.

A conversation can change a relationship. A decision can change a direction. A new habit can become a routine. A simple invitation can create a new connection. A small act of kindness can become someone else’s reason to believe in community.

Change is one of the few things we can always expect. Sometimes we choose it. Sometimes it chooses us.

A new job. A child growing into a new stage. A relationship changing. A new responsibility. A dream that looks different than it did six months ago. Sometimes change arrives quietly, like the leaves changing colors. Other times, it arrives suddenly and asks us to adapt before we feel ready.

But perhaps adapting doesn’t mean having everything figured out.

Perhaps adapting simply means being willing to pause, look around and ask, “What does this season require from me?”

Fall reminds us that letting go is not failure. Trees don’t hold onto every leaf simply because it was once part of them. They release what is no longer needed and make room for what comes next.

Maybe there is something we need to release, too.

An expectation that no longer fits. A habit that isn’t serving us. A fear that has been holding us back. Or perhaps a version of ourselves we have simply outgrown.

And maybe there is something we need to prepare for.

The beauty of community is that we don’t have to navigate change alone.

At a table, we share more than food. We share stories, experiences, questions and sometimes even uncertainty. Someone else’s story may give us courage for a change we are facing. Someone else’s perspective may help us see an opportunity where we only saw an obstacle.

That is what Taste of Community continues to mean to me: creating space for stories that remind us that we are not alone in the seasons we are experiencing.

So, as October begins, I invite you to look at these final 62 working days differently.

What are you working toward?

What needs your attention before the year ends? What change are you preparing for? What can you control, and what do you need to learn to release? Perhaps most importantly, who can walk alongside you?

We often enter the final months of the year focused on what still needs to be accomplished. But maybe this season is also an invitation to notice how far we have already come.

There is still time to make a decision, start a conversation, extend an invitation, repair a relationship, try something new, or simply slow down enough to listen to what your heart has been telling you.

The season is changing. And so are we.

Let’s not fear the change ahead. Let’s prepare for it with curiosity, courage, and community.

Because sometimes the next chapter doesn’t require us to have all the answers. It simply asks us to turn the page.

What will you do with your next 62 working days? I’m happy to hear from you at TasteofCommunity25@gmail.com.

Pooja Thakkar is working to build cultural connections. You can read her column each week in the pages of The Reporter.