It’s officially Fall—and wow, the weather is finally matching the calendar. Cool mornings, crunchy leaves, cozy vibes, and all things pumpkin.
Yesterday, school was out for Yom Kippur, so my son and I headed to Cox Farms for their Fall Festival. My husband was fasting and reflecting—aka enjoying a quiet house without us—which, let’s be honest, probably felt pretty holy in its own way. I figured going on a weekday would be genius. Turns out, every other parent in Northern Virginia had the same idea. It. Was. Packed.
The last time we went was in 2022, when my son was just over one year old. Back then, I was mostly just trying to keep him upright and alive. This time, it was all about the slides—ten of them, to be exact. Since recently conquering his fear of slides, he was ALL IN. Going down by himself, waiting in line (mostly patiently), learning boundaries when kids tried to cut—basically, all the joys of childhood chaos wrapped into one hay-covered package.
At one point, we noticed a boy who kept slipping through the crowd and cutting to the front of the line. Three times in the same line, he managed to race past us and zip down before anyone could stop him. The teenage staff tried, but let’s be real, wrangling kids in a pumpkin patch is like herding kittens. My first instinct was judgment: Where is his parent? How do I explain the unfairness to my kid?
Then, finally, an out-of-breath mom came running after him and said quietly, “I know, he’s special.” And it clicked. This boy wasn’t being “bad”—he was just living in his own world of joy, figuring things out in his own way.
It was a good reminder: you never know what people are carrying, what kind of day they’ve had, or what battles they’re quietly fighting. Even as a patient person, I realized how quickly I jumped to assumptions. That mom was doing her best, and her son was just being himself.
So as the season shifts, maybe we all need the same reminder: be kind. Smile at the stranger in line. Offer grace. Everyone’s dealing with something, even if you can’t see it.
You never know what someone is carrying—choose kindness every time.