Fredericksburg Parent

6 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • October 2020 PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom EDITOR & WEBMASTER Chris Jones Quincy, Hayden & Olive's dad MEDIA & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Megan Walsh: Mia, Noelle & Adelaide's mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter, Owner, Carter Creations Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING MANAGER Lovedy Carroll: Meredith's mom CALENDAR & COOL THINGS TO DO ELETTER Leigha Pecher: Jake & Luke's mom EDUCATION AND INFANT ELETTERS Debra Caffrey: Aidan's mom parent fredericksburg & family Entrepreneur of the Year PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER ADVERTISING PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net CALENDAR & SOCIAL MEDIA E-MAIL webmaster@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL PHONE 540-429-3572 E-MAIL fredparenteditor@gmail.com SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, F'burg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication's stan- dards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information con- tained herein, however, the publisher cannot guarantee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are sub- ject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and conditions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2019 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. LIKE facebook.com/ FredericksburgParent SIGN UP www.FredParent.net TWEET twitter.com/fredparent PIN www.pinterest.com/ fredparent FOLLOW @fredparentmagazine WRITTEN BY CHRIS JONES editor's note Our Fall "Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." ― Lao Tzu TRADITIONS TOPPLING Photo by Corey Miller Photography Upon hearing about the death of Chadwick Boseman, my 8-year-old son, who had dressed up as Black Panther for Halloween last year, made a memorial in the front yard. He hung his costume out the bottom rail of the front porch and taped a handwritten "RIP" across the chest. For me, it served as yet another reminder of the resiliency of children. As adults, we forget how these tiny human beings bounce back from adversity like rubber balls. While we're home freaking about virtual learning (guilty!), they're improvising, adapting, and overcoming. And when you think about it, they have zero real life experiences with which to compare this. When I was a kid, I religiously watched football on Sunday afternoon. I loved to hear John Madden and Pat Summerall call the games on Fox. When a wide receiver would torch an opposing cornerback and make him look foolish on the field, Madden would say, "When you're a corner, you have to have a bad memory." I think this is true of life, too. As parents, we have to be all right with the uncertainties of life. Know when to forget and get back to the line of scrimmage for the next play. It's what our kids do. This October, I want to challenge us to do the same. Let's forget how October should be and find ways to make new fall memories. Let's embark on new activities and traditiosn. Can you learn how to press leaves with your kids? Maybe have the entire family dress up and walk around the neighborhood to spread some cheer. Perhaps you can grab a large white- board and play Halloween Pictionary in the living room. Maybe you take a page from Easter and have a Haunted Hunt with hidden prizes around the yard. Or play Halloween music and host a live game of Ghosts in the Graveyard on your lawn. Whatever you do, don't waste time lamenting over what Octobers past were like. Let's seize this time as a new opportunity to create exciting memories you and your kids will look back on with fondness.

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