Before Winter Set In

 Before Winter set in, we took an afternoon for an afternoon fishing trip.

Our youngest son enjoys to fish. 

 This day was a perfect Autumn day. The color was fantastic, the weather was just right and the time the three of us had together was just what we needed. 

My two boys are best of buddies. When Sam left we felt a bit empty. We keep on doing and going. Sometimes that is  just what you have to do so you don't think too much about that empty spot.

This day of fishing was just what Atticus needed. 

We caught some nice fish.

We enjoyed the last warm day of Autumn.

We made a campfire. We cooked hotdogs over the fire and  baked beans.

We enjoyed our hot chocolate we brought in our  old time thermos while cooking s'mores. 

 It was a full day out in nature. 

Time to be still, time to listen to what our heart was telling us.

I know we all needed this day. We all were adjusting.

When we arrived home that evening, Atticus shared " Mom, thank you for today. It was just what I needed." He gave me a big hug. Atticus shared with me that he missed Sam. It was really hard to not talk to him or hang out with him. 

We keep moving on, we keep pressing forward.. this is why this day was so special. It was a day that life slowed down. We really listened and  I  think all three of us heard it " it is going to be alright." We all heard it in different ways.

For me, the mom, I heard,  " Sam prepared for this, this is what he wants to do and he is in good hands."

For Atticus it was something different, but it was something, because he opened up a little to share with me he was missing Sam, he also knew all would be alright.  

Watching them reconnect during our recent time with Sam melted my heart. The bond these two brothers have is something I can not put into words.

They acted like little boys again, wrestling and playing tricks. They acted like grown up men, talking about the serious challenges Sam had to take on during Basic. They acted like brothers and best of friends as they caught up with life that they had missed with each other the last 10 weeks.

As I share this little story of Before Winter Set In.. I know this Christmas season can be hard on many. It is a time of busy, it is a time of sadness for some with missing family members who have passed or have moved far away. It can be a stressful time of year. In all honesty it should not be. It should be a special time of year. Remember to take a deep breath, get outside in nature if you can and take time to listen.

♥

Carla