(Or:  “Save the Pumpkin!”)

It seems only yesterday that I wandered into the grocery store and was bombarded by a display of anything and everything “Pumpkin Spiced”.  Never mind that it was 85 degrees outside and people were still sitting by the poolside in sundresses while sipping their #PSL (pumpkin spice latte), Starbucks tumbler in hand, bidding their respects to the last notes of summer.

I mean seriously – doesn’t that just seem like yesterday?

Truly, not much time has passed.  I’ve barely had time to do any baking with pumpkin, just got around to getting my annual Pumpkin Pie Blizzard from Dairy Queen…

So imagine my flabbergastion (that can’t be a real world, can it? could it? should it?) when I get an e-mail from Starbucks a couple weeks ago, inviting me to come in and sip a Peppermint Mocha.

WHAT?!  I haven’t even made it to my Pumpkin Spice steamer yet!  Why are you pushing peppermint on me already?!  Wasn’t Halloween, like, YESTERDAY?!  (Check the date on the screenshot above)  Yes, yes it was.

Later that day, I was driving past a Dairy Queen and saw them advertising their Candy Cane Blizzard.

Wait, guys – wait wait wait.  Everybody slow down for just a second here.

Wasn’t Halloween just a day ago?  I mean, we’re BARELY into November.  Thanksgiving is still a full 4 weeks away.  FOUR WEEKS.  And – isn’t pumpkin pie a traditional THANKSGIVING food?  It’s not a Halloween thing, guys – it’s most definitely a THANKSGIVING thing.  That means late November.  So…we still have a holiday full of pumpkin and pumpkin spice to celebrate BEFORE jumping full swing into the Christmas season.

So what’s with all this peppermint/candy cane foolishness?

I love peppermint.  I do.  And I LOVE the Christmas season.

But I was truly bothered with the accelerated celebration of the season this year.  It began in full swing 4 full weeks before Thanksgiving.  It just seems to be taking all the focus off of that holiday, urging us to move forward and celebrate the next big thing – before we’ve even made it through the first.

Why are we SO eager to move on to the next big thing?  Why do we anticipate things SO much?  In doing so, are we missing out on enjoying the things of the present?

I’m all about preparation.  I love the idea of preparing in advance for the holidays so they can be less stressful and you can enjoy them more.  I’ll get there someday.  And bravo to those of you who are that prepared.

But – when you are already discarding the special things of a holiday that HASN’T EVEN HAPPENED YET to get an early jump on the hype of the next big thing…I’ve gotta be honest, it kind of ruins it for me.

And when we start to believe that a holiday takes THAT much wind-up and hullabaloo (we’re talking 2 months of Peppermint Mochas here..that’s a full 1/6 of the spent)…are we over-complicating and over-commercializing things? (cause Christmas needs to be MORE commercialized…)  Are we going to start trying TOO hard too celebrate it, to get the right gift and the right decorations, to do EVERYTHING possible for the season and get all the right instagram photos?

Why?

Just…why?

I’m going to enjoy Thanksgiving.  I’m going to spend the month baking apple and pumpkin desserts and ordering Pumpkin Spice steamers at Starbucks.  I’m going to count my blessings and make turkey crafts out of little tiny hands.

And in 2 more weeks, I’ll happily put away my harvest-themed wreath and add a shot of peppermint to my hot cocoa.  I’ll put on the Christmas music and dance in the glow of my Christmas tree.

And I’ll love it.  Because I love Christmas.

But not so much that I’m going to sacrifice or overshadow or rush through all the beautiful parts of another wonderful holiday or season.

So – happy Thanksgiving, ya’ll.  Go #PSL it up.  Make some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  Eat some pumpkin cinnamon rolls.  Rake leaves and jump in them.  Wear brown and burnt orange and red.  Go for walks outside in the brisk autumn air.  Make lists of things you’re thankful for.  Cause, guys – it’s still fall.  We still have Thanksgiving to look forward to.  And I’m grateful for that.