Month: August 2018

One of the first pieces of advice I got when I became a father was to enjoy every phase of it as it was happening. If you got anxious for the next phase, you’d miss what was right in front of you.

I missed a lot of “firsts” with my oldest son because I was out on the road so much, so it was easy to focus on him when I was home. Seems like in no time he went from being this little eight-pound cuddlebug to a 12-pound pooping machine that could roll almost anywhere in the house.

Next week, he starts kindergarten.

A little while ago I was at the UPS store and there was a grandmother there with what I assumed was her two-month-old grandbaby. Grandma was juggling a huge purse and a parcel while holding the grandbaby, and I felt obligated to ask if she needed a hand.

“Yes! Thanks.” Boom. Grandma instantly pushes the baby into my arms. Which I guess makes sense, I mean, what was she going to do, let me open her purse?

And suddenly I remembered how little and light and snuggly my boys were when they were infants. This grandbaby was just chilling with me, no teeth, eyes looking around a little, along for the ride. It gave me some feels, you guys.

I’ve got a five year-old and a three year-old. How did this happen? How have I already been in my first home for a year? I’m thirty-four? What the junk!

And yet.

Time is funny. It goes fast, it goes slow. I have so much of my life ahead of me, and yet so much behind me that urges me to make haste. I simultaneously want to hurry up and pump the brakes. As I was walking home from the mailbox tonight, taking in our quiet neighborhood, the beautiful mountains, the lush yards, and feeling the final kisses of summer at my back…it just made me grateful for a life that has brought me happiness.

I’m grateful for the magic of summers past, and the promises of summers yet to come. I’m enjoying the space in between, while my kids are still slightly limited in the stuff we can do together. My wife mentioned a few months ago that it’s important to her that our kids know awesome summers in their youth. That’s huge to me too. I’m a child of the summertime, and hands-down my greatest young memories happened between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

This is the first year I can think of that I’m excited for autumn to come and ready for summer to be over. With a few weeks left to go, I have to remind myself to enjoy where I’m at. To be where I am.

To not get where I’m going and look back at that time that I burned off of the clock and have any regrets about how I spent my hours.

Autumn will come, and bring its seasonal delights, its own flavor of magic. For now, August is still on, and there is yet an adventure to be had.

Onward into Friday, my friends.