The Wonderful Have-Tos Of Life

After a busy weekend of birthday parties, sleepovers, two football games, two basketball games and a pumpkin patch, we sat down as a family and watched The Great Pumpkin last night. My kids honestly love it.  They feel badly for Charlie Brown when he gets rocks in his bag, laugh when Lucy bobs for apples and touches Snoopy's dog lips, and  they marvel just a little bit at Linus' blind faith.  (Hope that doesn't mess any plot lines up for anybody that hasn't seen it.  Should I have typed "spoiler alert" at the beginning?  Are there people that haven't seen it?)

It felt good to sit down and watch a show with the family.  I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately.  Overwhelmed with the have-tos of life--the scheduling, the bill paying, the worrying about how we will do the bill paying, the making of time for everyone and everything, the laundry, the dinner making, the email returning, the creative budgeting, the homework (reminding and helping) and the all the rest of it.

It was the last game of JT's first season.  He had a great game.

So, sitting down and watching a holiday classic with everyone felt good.  It's a family tradition, a wonderful kind of have-to.  

That's what makes all the overwhelming-ness bearable I guess.  All the wonderful kind of have-tos in life.  

The post game brother hug.

The Sunday morning chocolate chip pancakes (and another brother hug).

The tire swing rides.

The tractor rides.

The opportunity to talk, and listen.

 
The opportunity to explore a little.

The just-right pumpkin finding.

The climbing of the haystack.

The once-a-year caramel apple.

I believe in the power of all the wonderful have-tos of life.  They make all the bullshit more bearable.  They make the overwhelming-ness a little less heavy.  They make the world seem a little bit like the pumpkin patch that Linus sat in all night..."nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see."  Just truth and beauty and good memories.