A Time for Every Season

The whole autumn season seems like a multi-week celebration to me. Perhaps it's that three of the five of us have birthdays in fall. That certainly contributes to it.

Additionally, fall is simply gorgeous. It seems to awaken all my senses...the beauty of the leaves in their red, orange, and yellow splendor; the scent of cinnamon and cloves lingering in the air; the tasty goodness of fall soups, breads, and baked goods; the sound of leaves crunching beneath our feet as we traipse down the path on a golden afternoon; the feel of that cozy sweater that wraps me in comfort despite the crispness in the air.

But outside of the beauty of fall, I love it for the lesson it teaches me; the way it serves to remind me of truth. For the beauty of fall is brief. As much as we anticipate the changing colors, we blink, and the leaves have reached the height of their glory. The glorious display is complete, the leaves drop from their trees, and before we know it's begun, it's over.

It's probably not difficult to see where I'm going with this. The picture of Fall reminds me to wisely invest and engage in the lives of our sons; to embrace and treasure each day; to be all here. Oh, I know there are tough days in parenting---I have them, too. But as fall reminds me, these days will soon pass. Fall will give way to winter. I'll blink, and this glorious, beautiful stage of parenting will be a thing of the past...and will give way to a glorious, beautiful new one.

I used to lament the brevity of my favorite season. But I think it's that brevity that causes me to love it so much. It causes me to be more purposeful as I look ahead to these golden weeks of September and October. Oh, that I---that each of us---would choose to be purposeful and intentional in our parenting; to truly be present and show the dear ones in our care how deeply they're cherished.