September 4, 2024 “Something about apples and trees.” A reference to the expression, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” my son, Jake, and I use this line when Jake is exhibiting some trait or behavior that is annoyingly similar to one of my traits or behaviors. We use the phrase a lot. Jake and I have a lot in common. He has my outgoing, fun-loving personality, my quick wit, my love of print journalism and a good news story, my skin type, my tendency toward procrastination… After one of the more recent times he lobbed the expression my way, it stuck in my mind and sort of clashed with this new season of life we’re in. That familiar expression “about apples and trees” implies closeness. Jake and I are very close. We spend a lot of time together and share a lot of great conversations and experiences. But we’re also entering this season of life when it’s common for a change in the closeness. Jake is about to start his senior year of high school. When people ask me about that or it comes up in conversation, I often fight back tears as I answer. I’m incredibly proud of the young man he’s become, but I’m more than a little sad that we’re moving closer to a day when he’ll leave home for the next chapter in his life. To stick with the expression, the apple that didn’t fall far from the tree is getting ready to roll away from it, and that’s both awesome/happy and terrifying/sad. I sometimes struggle with the change of seasons in life, especially when the change is something I didn’t pick. Whether it be Jake becoming an independent young man or my body not being able to do movements and tasks it used to perform effortlessly, I often struggle to accept the big changes, and I struggle to accept that where I am now is God’s will for my life at this moment. Maybe part of God’s will for me right now is to work on acceptance. It’s certainly something I’ve taken to Him in prayer a lot lately, since I seem to be in a season of change. It seems appropriate that it coincides with apple season. |
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