Signs of the Season

Tears fall like autumn leaves.
Leaving piles of beautiful memories.

It's fitting that my dad's birthday is in the fall. As I photographed these pretty leaves on the water in our backyard creek today, I looked up and was reminded how autumn changes perspective. When the trees lose their beautiful leaves, there is a new, stark reality to view. It's lonely. It's sad.

Thinking of my dad today. He would have been 89 years old. Wow. While it would have been great if he could have hung on a few more years – like those last leaves clinging to the branches – it was probably best he let go. It may have just been 3 more years of poor health and pain. God knew it was time for Dad's season to end. It's lonely. It's sad.

The comfort to us is that leaves may fall and blow away, but our memories don't. They remain through all seasons.

And Dad makes his presence known. Today while he was celebrating his birthday in heaven, I have a feeling I know what his wish was when he blew out the candles on his cake. Trust me. It was not for his favorite daughter Robyn to enjoy a Vikings victory. I think he was hoping a certain girl would say yes when a special grandson of his popped the question. Dad and God have been tag-teaming to bless that relationship and I am so excited for my nephew and his fiance!

But about those Vikings... talk about good things coming to an end. I knew they had to lose sometime but today, the day the Packers don't play and I could finally watch them on TV, that's the day they choose to crumble? Grr. It's sad.

The comfort to me is, well, nothing really. I have to think of something. The game was as ugly as these naked trees around here. Let's hope it's a sign of a season of much improvement. We don't have to be perfect. Just a heckuva lot better than today. If not. I have ways of coping...

Well one of those is coming to an end. One sad sign of the season is that my favorite places offering cool treats don't cater to those of us who would still want them even when it's 12 degrees with a minus 8-degree windchill!

Yes, sadly it was the last day of King Cone until spring! I have the great taste of Blueberry "Yes, Please" Cake ice cream in my mouth to hold me over for 6 months.

Or until I dive into Schwan's Peppermint Stick ice cream. Did you doubt I had back-up plans in place? I have a season for everything that matters!

The comfort for me is that year-round I carry the ice cream – on my hips – and the memories of Dad in my heart.