(Forced) Fall Family Fun
When joy doesn’t show up on its own, sometimes you’ve got to drag it into the car and bribe it with donuts and a hayride.
This fall, my twins are 15 and 9. And as you can imagine, the older twins definitely think they’re too old for pumpkin patches.
Well, thanks to our old friend the pandemic, we fell out of the tradition of going every year. And once you fall out of routine, it’s hard to get back. Life changes. Kids grow. Schedules shift. And I’ll admit, there were years I was so busy with my projects that even when I planned fall activities, I couldn’t follow through. That’s real.
But I love spending time with my family, holiday stuff especially. I don’t know why it brings me so much joy (because it can be incredibly dreadful and draining getting everyone out of the house, JESUS!) but it does. It fills my heart. Maybe it’s because, for a few sweet moments, we get to pause the noise and just be together.
This year, the calendar almost beat me. Between my daughter’s band schedule (which is no joke), Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, music lessons, Jack and Jill activities and the usual work-life chaos, I almost gave up on the idea. But I found a small window — the last Sunday in October — and I claimed it.
Let me tell you: most of them really didn’t want to go. The older twins were not feeling it. My husband never wants to go. So yes, I forced three out of six people into the car. The little twins were excited… in theory. But instead of getting dressed they were having a full-blown rage party in their room. Once we got to the farm, my older son grumbled and asked if I had forced him to come.
I said, “Yes. Yes, I did. But you’re going to have a good time anyway. You have 24 hours in the day. Can I have one or two of them for some fall family fun?”
It was a rough start, but I was determined to enjoy myself and force everyone else to do the same.
Miracles do happen because somewhere between the hayride, the funnel cakes, and the apple cider donuts, something shifted. It was like that scene from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas — when his heart starts to grow. I saw that in every one of them. My husband went along with the program. The big kids started smiling. The little kids didn’t want to leave.
The best part? Grandma came along. And for once, I got to be in the photos too. That doesn’t usually happen because I’m the one trying to savor the memories with my iPhone.
As we left the farm, I looked around at my people — the smiles, the crumbs on their jackets, the dirt on their shoes — and thought, we did it! We all went and actually had a good time. I didn’t have to kill any child or man in the making of this family adventure, LOL!
We don’t get a ton of time together as a family of six. But I’m so glad I fought for this day. I’m sure they won’t remember all the maneuvering and mental duress I went through to make it happen. But the pictures and video will be proof that we went…and they all had a good time.
Life was good. Life is still good. Even in hard seasons. Even when joy has to be forced a little. Even when it takes a few donuts and a hayride to get there.
Food for the Soul:
Sometimes joy isn’t spontaneous. Sometimes it’s scheduled. Sometimes it’s forced. But that doesn’t make it any less real.
And even if no one thanks you now — mama, wife, keeper of the calendar — one day, the memories will remind them (and you) that it was all worth it.
Journal Prompt:
What moments have you had to fight for lately? What’s one joy you can insist on this week, even if it means forcing a little fun. Because it’s worth it if you enjoy it.