Welcoming Autumn: Traditions continue.

The funny thing about life is this:  It goes on. 

Picks up, Packs up and just moves ahead.

 Sadness or change, grief or despair, new schools, divorce, dating, old friends, new friends, hurt feelings, happiest ever...

None of it matters to life.  Life doesn't afford us the time to dwell there, in any of it. 

Life teaches a great lesson. 

Just move along.

 The days keep coming and there is no time for anything other than living them.  In doing so I have felt this week provide a richness to my days that has been refreshing.  Breakfast with girlfriends on an outside patio, walks with new mommy friends, heart talks in my kitchen and a lot of emotional growing for my children.  I feel like we owned this week and took life's lesson seriously.  We just picked right up and moved right along.

Growing, laughing.

Living. 

 With all the changes in our lives I definitely decided that there will be some things we do differently from here on out.  I want the kids to have new traditions, ones that they remember are special for this time in their lives.  For instance, we started (and kind of stopped) doing a "dinner bag" of questions.  The goal is to fill a bag with 50 questions and pick one each night that everyone can answer.  The kids loved it!  Whoever was here with us that night, hanging around the table joined in and it was such good interaction.  We have the greatest village. 

 While new traditions are good, and even healthy, I also decided that there are things that I am not willing to give up just because our family dynamic is different. 

The beginning of our fall season has always been marked by our local balloon festival.  The last couple of years the kids have loved going and I look forward to it as well.  This year we packed up, called a convoy of our friends and unloaded in the big grassy field just west of our little town.

 Kids played, moms chased, friends laughed. 

Rides were ridden, balloons were lit up, pictures were taken, and carnival food was eaten. 

 

 I looked around, like I have almost every day for the last several months and saw the faces of those that love me the very most.  Being together with them is what always makes me the most happy.  My life is full and rich, lacking nothing.  There is an essence about these friends; they are lasting.  They have been and will continue to be with me in these days of life, moving along and it's just the most rewarding and fulfilling feeling. 

 I watched my kids play and quietly breathed in the reality:

They are happy.

Running, giggling, exploring and just being children. 

They are also lacking nothing.  It swells my heart. 

 Some things change and some things stay the same. 
I am choosing to really embrace both because I want to experience life in all of it's nooks and crannies.  I want to explore it, taste it, indulge myself in it no matter how painful, rich, lovely, heartbreaking, joyful or fulfilling it may or may not be. 

This is our one life.  Our one wild and precious life.

And I'm choosing to live it. 

 Welcome Autumn, good to see a glimpse of you.