Seasons

Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring. Summer. Autumn...

Nobody ever complains about the endless repetitions of nature, the predictablity, the mundaneness of spring always following winter and summer always preceding autumn. No one.

So what is so inherently different about feed, burp, change, nap, wake, feed, burp change?

Like the the song by Five for Fighting, you have 100 years to live, so at 25 I'm at the cusp of the summer of my life,- the time that makes you break a sweat, and this is just how it should be. For 99.9% of the population of this world throughout history, life has been work, labor, and struggle. Yet there seems to be a pervading notion of amusement and escape as the bread of life in our current niche of time and space.

However hot the summer may be, there is much to be savored. Trips to the beach, ice cream, gardening, sunshine, pools, camping, etc. So, though day in and day out child rearing may consume the bulk of my time, there is much to be enjoyed. Waking up this morning, I still had Hildebrand snuggled close to me since I fell asleep while nursing him in the wee small hours of the morning. I cannot get over how sweet the intonations of Fiona's "Yes, mommy" sound. Absolute peace and contentment fill my heart when the three of us head out for a morning walk. I'm never without a sense of anticipation of Hero's arrival home from work.

Life is not a roller coaster. Roller coasters are thrilling, terrifying, and exhilarating every second you are on it. Life is a road trip, long, sometimes boring, sometimes nervewracking and seemingly never ending , but the destination is worth the effort. When you look back, you cannot believe that the journey is travelled and you wonder whether or not you fully appreciated the view and whether you really needed that $3 overpriced, nutritionally vacant  candy bar instead of the smushed, homemade PB&J sandwich you packed.

This is but a season of my life and at its end I will inherently wish I had celebrated it more. I cannot enjoy every moment, but I can begrudge the lackluster moments less.

My children are my treasures because I decided to value them as such and put off for tomorrow what can be done tomorrow and do now what can only be done today.