Not that long ago, it was like Beatlemania when a trash truck drove down the street. Not that long ago, it was Beatlemania for your teenage girls when Taylor Swift was on the Eras Tour. At Christmas, it was like that scene in Elf where the mall announces that Santa is coming. You could get them to do anything if a popsicle or an episode of their favorite show was offered.

What a joy it is to be that excited about something, to find something so ordinary, so wonderful. We know that it is fleeting and unsustainable, however, by the simple fact of our own day-to-day existence as an adult. What could possibly elicit that kind of reaction in us today?

Understand then, as we’ve been talking about, that this doesn’t last. Soon enough they won’t care about tractors. Soon enough they’ll be pretending that they never liked that movie or that music. Soon enough you’ll be lucky if they still get in the Christmas spirit—if they want to interrupt their busy lives and come home to visit. Soon enough, your bribes will stop working and they’ll be just like you, thinking about whether dessert is healthy or not.

Let them enjoy it. Enjoy them enjoying it. It’s only here for a brief instant.