Red and yellow and brown…

I began singing that song in first grade and for whatever reason it stuck. I obnoxiously sing it to the kids throughout the fall season because I have the luxury every year of the simple words coming to life.

I think of fall as a reset and I’m hoping this fall is the biggest reset of my life. Typically it’s because school starts, the days get shorter, bed times are earlier, and kids are adjusting to structured life again. It’s a challenging time — but it’s a beautiful time, especially in New England. Pretty misery can really be beautiful. Sure, I know, that doesn’t make a lot of sense but, if you know – you know.

The complexity of this particular year has really magnified this pretty misery and for some people they have only lived one of the words. They are stuck on misery and want to rope others in. I want to remind them that no one ever said life was going to be easy. No one ever said why it would be much more challenging for one person over another BUT being an infectious miserable person is ridiculous. The funny thing is in a divided country and a global pandemic we all have the same issues to start with. Life has changed – you believe in one view but really shouldn’t despise people who don’t share yours.

I pray, yes pray, that we can all reset next month. I’m going to channel my inner Ted Lasso for the next few weeks…