This morning felt like a preview of summer.
I opened the garage door and it hit me right away. Warm. Sunny. Almost 70 degrees. The kind of day where the kids don’t need a coat. Don’t need a jacket. Just t-shirts and pants and we’re out the door. Spring has officially sprung, and you can feel summer sitting right around the corner.
We pulled into the drop-off line early like we always do, about the 6th or 7th car. Same little crew of parents who are always there. Same routine. For a second I was just sitting there appreciating the weather, thinking, man, today is going to be a good day.
And then my brain did what it always does.
Because warm weather in our house doesn’t just mean sunshine. It means the schedule is about to get loud.
Basketball is still going. Baseball is starting up. My youngest is adding flag football so he’s double dipping. My oldest is in travel baseball now, and that comes with its own kind of busy that you can’t really explain until you live it. Suddenly I’m thinking about three or four practices a week, games stacked on weekends, and my wife and I going full divide and conquer just to keep everybody where they need to be.
And I love it. I really do. I love the seasons. I love watching them play. But I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel that little “ugh” creeping in when I think about how packed it’s about to get.
Because this is the pattern every year.
It turns into Groundhog Day. Wake up. School. Practice. Wake up. School. Practice. Then the weekends hit and it’s breakfast and games and more games and driving all over the place. And now with baseball ramping up, it can even turn into travel. It’s exciting, but it also starts to feel like you’re living out of your calendar.
While I was sitting there thinking about all of that, I heard my kids in the back.
They were being nice to each other today. No fighting, no complaining, just good. It snapped me out of my head for a second. Then they hopped out and started walking toward the school, and it hit me how big they’re getting. Like, for real.
My oldest is almost 11. That doesn’t feel possible. It feels like yesterday he was playing T-ball. And my youngest, he was a baby at the ball fields. Now he’s done with T-ball too and moving up. It goes fast. Stupid fast.
So here’s what I’m holding onto today. Slow down enough to actually feel the day you’re living.
Yeah, we’ve got a busy season coming. And yeah, sometimes it feels like a lot. But one day I’m going to be older, and I’m going to miss these exact mornings that currently feel like chaos.
So today I’m choosing to enjoy the sunny day, the drop-off line, and the season.
What about you? Do you ever catch yourself loving what’s happening while also dreading how busy it’s about to get? What’s your busy season right now?