This year, our girls didn’t want to take the hayride out to the pumpkin patch. They’d rather grab a pumpkin near the warm building and be on with their lives. Still, I wanted the picture. In a moment, I remembered that, long before these girls came into my life, my husband and I enjoyed a life together. We’ll enjoy a life together long after they depart from our home.
So I had my daughter take a picture of him and me in the pumpkin patch.
Later, I realized how I’m no longer tracking the growth of these teens who stand nearly as tall as I with each passing season. They’ve matured already in so many ways. It feels like a new kind of autumn where family means older children who take the photo and plan the day.
What a wonderful new season! Some growth, however, I do still track; my Baby Ginkgo Tree stands sturdy and healthy. Today, I mark the beginnings of golden color. The new tree that will grow each year reminds me of the passage of time and the beauty of each changing season.
