You know when the pumpkins turn from jack-o-lanterns to just true pumpkins? The leaves are actually yellow, orange and red… not just hints of it? Yeah, you know the kind. THAT is my favorite time of year. I call that the season of Thanksgiving.
My family is busy. (Aren’t we all?) My husband and I have three little boys. He is a dream chaser in the sports world, I am a teacher and a business owner. When I say busy, I don’t mean it lightly. One thing we try to instill in our boys is that busy-ness is also a season of gratefulness, as long as you’re looking through the right glasses.
A few years ago, when our oldest was an only child, I started buying one small pumpkin for him to paint. Then when he was older, I’d have my own little artistic pumpkin patch. Well, years passed and more babies came and my ideas changed. This time, I think it worked out for the better.
During this season of thanksgiving, I still purchase a small fake pumpkin. Only, I keep it in the middle of our kitchen table very near a sharpie. We start around the first of November and when we sit down to dinner we talk about our most “thankfuls.” Sometimes it’s something silly, like “Daddy’s tickles,” and sometimes more thoughtful, “Mommy who takes care of us when we are sick.”
I never know what is going to come out of their mouths, but what I love the most is that it’s a snippet of the season we are in. It’s filled with quotes from each of their mouths and memories from their hearts. I can look back at our thankful pumpkins from years past and still tell you which person said which thing, and that is something I hope I remember forever.
When you are out and about this week, I hope you’ll pick up a small pumpkin and start this new tradition with your crew. Try not to overthink it, just write what you think about. I promise it will help keep the focus on gratefulness and thanksgiving, because isn’t that what we need more of?
Emily is a wife, mom, teacher and business owner. Kinda crafty, mostly just passionate about believing in others. Follow her on Istagram @craftingandcocktails or Facebook “Crafting & Cocktails.”
