It felt like there was so much summer left. Like there were more beach days ahead of us. Vacations and weekend camping trips still to take. More visits to the splash pad, to the pool, to the grandparent’s house because well, you still do have to work sometimes. Picnics and concerts and barbecues with family and friends to look forward to.

But  here we are, in early September. Labor Day has come and gone. School is in session. There are pumpkins outside of grocery stores and your kid is already talking about their Halloween costume. There are leaves on the ground. There’s the faintest chill in the air. How did the last month, the summer, go by so fast?  August has, as Taylor Swift said, “slipped away into a moment in time.”

The summer is gone. September is here, and with it, a new season, a new school year. A new chapter in your kid’s life and yours.

So be present for it. Be in the moment with the people you love. Be there, doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing—not scrolling on your phone, not thinking about what’s next, not planning your week, not stressing about work. Be with your kid, with your family, and make the most of the moment while you have it. Before it all slips away into a moment in time.