I make no bones about it – I’m an autumn guy. It’s my season. Pull out the sweaters, the flannel, stack the hay bales by the scarecrow, bring on the fall flavor coffees and the cider donuts. I look forward to it all.
Our October calendar has been busier than we ever possibly imagined. Both our jobs, the overflowing cup of all the extracurricular activities each kid is involved with these days and just trying to keep a household functioning are enough to make our heads spin.
Free time? Those few minutes we get when the kids have fallen asleep to try and talk about the day before one of us inevitably nods off in the chair signaling the night is over? We squeeze in what we can where we can.
We’ve taken the kids apple picking, watched the leaves change color on walks. I’ve indulged in the Fall Sampler Coffee Packs from Bones Coffee and the Starbucks Fall Blend to start the mornings.
And we paid a visit to the pumpkin patch.
Sure, I know there can be a lot of anti-autumn sentiment out there, especially floating around in the age of social media and I don’t expect everyone to have the same feelings toward the season I do. I get that. I’m very lucky to have married someone who loves the season and doing these things as much as I do.
And even if I didn’t enjoy it, the simple fact of the matter is – it’s not always about me. Sometimes it’s doing the things that bring joy to your loved ones and taking in how much happiness these little moments can bring them. Sure, you could go buy a bag of apples or a pumpkin at the grocery store. Absolutely. But that’s not what it’s about. It’s about making memories with loved ones and being a part of something they look forward to and can fondly look back on.
When other people welcome us into their lives, it’s because they want us to be a part of it. If in the face of that love you make your company unpleasant to be in, it’s only going to make that affection all the weaker.
And when your spouse, your kids, your significant other, whomever, look back, it won’t be with happy memories that make them remember you fondly. It’ll be a resentment and a bitterness that you put so much energy into squashing the chance to make memories with them. Do you want to be remembered whenever they experience the seasons change as the one that stomped on their joy?
The days may be long, but the years are short. You only get one go around with your kids before their lives are their own. So just enjoy the darn pumpkin patch. Or the apple picking. And let them enjoy it too.
It won’t be long before the seasons of life change and you don’t have it anymore.
The Dorky Daddy 