Thanks for joining me for another edition of the SerenityThroughSweat blog. With the Christmas season upon us I want to talk about one of my favorite holiday traditions. The advent beer calendar.
Now you might be asking yourself, where does an advent beer calendar fit in to a fitness and fatherhood blog? And that is a very good question and the answer is in composition and expression.
For the last few years my wife and I have enjoyed an advent beer calendar featuring imported german beers. Almost all of the beers in the calendar adhere to the 1516 Bavarian reinheitsgebot or “purity order”
The order set forth regulations on beer sales including prices, profits that could be made by innkeepers, the confiscation of impure beer, and the approved ingredients for making beer. The only things allowed under the order are water, barley, and hops.
My feelings on government regulations and the stifling of market innovation aside, I am always impressed by the variety of beer we are able to enjoy in these calendars.
Most come from small breweries that have been following the same recipe for centuries. Yet every beer has its own unique flavor, and distinct personality. A different expression with the same composition.
Maybe it is because I have been fortunate enough to have more time home with my family than usual, but this made me think about my boys. Almost identical compositions with a different expression.
The days are long and the weeks tend to blur together, but when I try to reflect on El Duderino at eight months old, the two boys are very much distinct individuals.
Speedy is smart and sneaky. Knowing what he wants but playing it cool until it is within his range and then pouncing like a tiger. When El Duderino was the same age he was determined and focused, diving head first toward what he wanted without regard to where that might land him.
El Duderino was also a bit more independent wanting to be put down and move on his own, where Speedy enjoys the comfort of being held, especially to fall asleep.
Both boys, like a good German beer, are unique in their expressions of my wife and my genetic codes. I am grateful for all the time I have gotten to spend watching them continue to express themselves this year, even if I need a few of the aforementioned beers to help get me through. Na Zdrowie! Próst! And Cheers! To a happy and healthy holiday season.
Thanks for joining me, stay safe and stay sweaty my friends.
