Upon hearing about the death of Chadwick Boseman, my 8-year-old son, who had dressed up as Black Panther for Halloween last year, made a memorial in the front yard. He hung his costume out the bottom rail of the front porch and taped a handwritten “RIP” across the chest.

For me, it served as yet another reminder of the resiliency of children. As adults, we forget how these tiny human beings bounce back from adversity like rubber balls. While we’re home freaking about virtual learning (guilty!), they’re improvising, adapting, and overcoming. And when you think about it, they have zero real life experiences with which to compare this.

When I was a kid, I religiously watched football on Sunday afternoon. I loved to hear John Madden and Pat Summerall call the games on Fox. When a wide receiver would torch an opposing cornerback and make him look foolish on the field, Madden would say, “When you’re a corner, you have to have a bad memory.” I think this is true of life, too. As parents, we have to be all right with the uncertainties of life. Know when to forget and get back to the line of scrimmage for the next play. It’s what our kids do.

This October, I want to challenge us to do the same. Let’s forget how October should be and  find ways to make new fall memories. Let’s embark on new activities and traditions. Can you learn how to press leaves with your kids? Maybe have the entire family dress up and walk around the neighborhood to spread some cheer. Perhaps you can grab a large whiteboard and play Halloween Pictionary in the living room. Maybe you take a page from Easter and have a Haunted Hunt with hidden prizes around the yard. Or play Halloween music and host a live game of Ghosts in the Graveyard on your lawn. Whatever you do, don’t waste time lamenting over what Octobers past were like. Let’s seize this time as a new opportunity to create exciting memories you and your kids will look back on with fondness.