Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Other Things I Don't Understand

I don’t want to make any enemies here.  I don’t want to diss any of you who follow me and who, hopefully, can sense a camaraderie of spirit.  But I just have to say this: I don’t get the whole pumpkin craze once the calendar turns towards Fall.

Don’t get me wrong.  I think it’s cool when the Spice of Autumn presents itself on every food and drink menu one can possibly think of.  From coffee to cake, soup to sangria, it’s the craze.  Lots of people that I know can’t wait for the moment they can once again announce to their palates, and their FaceBook pages, that pumpkin has made it’s arrival.

I, on the other hand, am pretty conventional. Give me a mocha anything, anytime, and I’m good. 

To take this topic and smash it to smithereens, please indulge me for just a second.  I think I finally got a whiff of what it is that bothers me about pumpkins.  They are beautiful, bright and fun.  They look awesome carved on my front step, a candle flickering inside them.  I love the displays and arrangements that speak of harvest and giving thanks.

It’s just that there is so much hoopla over something that is so temporary.  

I don’t know about you, but I like staple things.  A creature of habit, I like my tried and true foods, whether for comfort or just because I know them well and they suit my taste.  I know what to expect from my beef stew or my roasted chicken.  I like regular Lipton tea in a bag, steeped to just the right color.  I’m not exactly a “meat and potato” gal, but going out for sushi would not be my first choice either.  Maybe it makes me boring, but I like things on the regular.

It’s the same rule that I apply to people.  I like when you can count on someone — their word, their being there, their adherence to principal and integrity.  I’m not big on folks who make promises they don’t keep, who come in looking all fine and smelling like the fragrance of the month, only to prove they are all hat and no cattle.  

I get that this is a stretch.  I mean, seriously, I can see most of you now shaking your heads.  But hear me out.  

Pumpkins are hard on the outside and empty on the inside.  It takes some work to pick out the perfect one, clean them up, make them smile or scare, and prop them at your doorstep.  And then, in a week, they whither and cave and stay at your threshold well beyond the time you should toss them out.  (At least, that’s what happens at my house.)

This is not a case against pumpkins.  I love them.  Really.  It’s just that, like some people, we can put a lot of effort into making them just right, taking our selfies, wining and dining with them, and promoting them as the reason for our bliss.  We get caught up in believing something is going to last forever, and before you know it, their season is over.

I am just saying, be careful of the pumpkins in your life that are all in it for the fun and not for the long haul.  We all need folks who come and sprinkle a little bit of frivolity, a little laughter and levity, and they go on their merry way.  But its the others, the ones who bear fruit, who are loyal, who are honest, who know just the right things to say and do when you need them most, these come with us from one season to the next. 

True friendships, sustainable relationships, are not just a flash in the in the pan.  They bring life to our spirits.  Our thankfulness for them should be a constant reminder of God’s blessings.  I am so grateful for the friends and relationships I have, those that have gone around the block with me and are still thriving.

I know I’ve poked a bit of fun at all you pumpkin connoisseurs.  I love your enthusiasm.  I smile at the confident way you order your lattes, lapping up the full flavor of the season, and sharing it with all of us who’s tastebuds have not yet caught on to what the fuss is all about.  I salute you!

How awesome God is to give us these simple pleasures to spice things up a bit.  But at the end of the day, it’s nice to know too that some things are predicable, tried, and true.

Always remember, it is from Him that all good things come — yes, even pumpkins.