Seasons Change

I love the change of seasons.  Even though at times I want to hold on to the heat of summer.  And I dread the coming of winter.  But to be sure as summer heat gives way to cool evenings and leaves burst into brilliant colors,

the seasons change.  There is no way to stop it.

So it is with life.  Time marches on, things change.

Today was Maren’s first day of preschool.  She’ll be gone three afternoons a week.  I’ve had babies and toddlers in the house for 13 years.  I thought the day would never come when the last one would have somewhere else to go besides here.

She packed her backpack.

Chose a dress and did her hair.

And happily walked out the door.

Her Dad and I took her to lunch before her big day.

We picked up her friend.

They walked up the stairs and into a whole new season filled with teachers, friends and school.

There was no clinging or crying.  Just big smiles.  Which was really nice after the last time I brought someone to preschool!

She found her name tag.  And some friends to play with.

I left and walked into my own new season.  I went to the grocery store alone.  And it wasn’t midnight.

I’m driving a big empty van.

There was no one to fight over who got to lick the beater of cookie dough.  So I did.

She came off the bus beaming and talked about school all through dinner. 

My favorite season has always been fall.  I love the cooler weather and beautiful colors. But I hate what comes next so I started to rethink if I should love fall after all. 

Every season has a beauty of it’s own: the new growth in spring, the warmth of summer, the colors of fall and the coziness of winter.  I can’t keep it fall forever, so I may as well embrace and enjoy every season as it comes. 

In weather and in life.