"And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game”
-“Circle Game,” Joni Mitchell

It seems like I spend a lot of time planning out schedules for the next season. Thinking about what the summer will look like, what will happen in the fall. Of course, planning is important - we can’t just abandon all logic and expect the movements of four children to be organized by chance! However, recently, I have been trying as much as possible to embrace the current season - where we are now.

The seasons go by so fast - too fast - it is important to revel in what is currently in front of me. No matter how deliberate I am, I can’t change how quickly the sun rises and sets. I want to take the time to feel the leaves crunch beneath my feet, to share this feeling with my children. I want to experience the current moment, and be present enough to remember it, document it, and weave it into a rich tapestry of shared memory that my children will take with them.

So I will remind myself daily.

We will savor the sweetness on our tongues.

We will smile beneath a blue sky.

We will watch toads jumping through our yard in the sun-dappled shade.

We will give each other help when needed.

The seasons will go round and round. But we will be present in each one.