Grieving Summer

I had a text conversation with my friend, Jen, last week and she said she was "grieving summer." I told her I was lifting that line from her and so it inspired this bog post.

I lived for summers as a kid. Three long, luxurious months that I got to spend with my parents (they both worked in the school system) and my siblings. We got to play outside, watch movies during the hottest part of the days, and take trips to the beach or long trips out of state to visit our paternal grandparents. One of the best things for me was reading during the summer. I know, hard to believe! There was no homework to interfere with my reading life! It definitely was the time of the year that I most looked forward to. Fast forward to being in between college semesters and as a teacher, I gave it my all during the school year to be able to enjoy the precious summer months.There is something to being able to sleep in a little later than during the school year and devouring as many books as possible. The carefree feeling I think is what I looked forward to the most. As you know my career lasted 32 years, and now I am living a perpetual summer! I still live for sunny days and the evolution of my garden from spring to summer as well as having my friends off from work as well. Gathering for lunch "field trips" trying out new restaurants and trips are new adventures I am enjoying.

Now that school has started back up and friends have retuned to their jobs, I can't help "grieving summer"—the end of it. It takes me back to the feeling of having to return to school after being home all summer. Like everything in life—change happens, and we all have to learn to adapt and change as well. So I will grieve the end of summer as fall ushers itself in this Saturday, but I will bw grateful for all the memories I was able to create with family and friends this year. I will embrace fall —the change in temperature, color, sounds, nature, and I will be grateful everyday that I get to experience the change. During the cold, dark months of winter while I am devouring books wrapped in the warmth of a beautiful quilt, I will be preparing my heart for spring and yet another change that will get us closer to my beloved summertime when we can get out and play in carefree ways once again!

Happy Fall y'all!