Lessons Learned

Everett’s mommy and daddy made sure to purchase a pumpkin before the Halloween season ended. They were not carving a jack-o-lantern this year, but observing another important Paulson family ritual which involved cutting away the top of the vegetable and stuffing their new infant inside to be photographed. Though Everett’s parents had selected the largest pumpkin available due to their rapidly growing boy, when the appointed day finally arrived, it still was doubtful whether the hollowed out gourd would accommodate him. In the end, most of him could be stuffed inside and the pictures came out very well. Happily, Everett’s parents had learned a thing or two from their previous photo shoot two years ago. His big sister had narrowly escaped a rollover in her pumpkin, so as a perk of being the second-born; Everett’s pumpkin was securely propped with logs from the start. If Everett is fortunate, maybe this incident will prove to be symbolic of the smooth path ahead owing to all the bumps his parents had learned to hurtle successfully during the previous two years. Everett can only hope.