August

It’s August, the month I used to abhor when I was growing up. I couldn’t wait for those hot dry weeks in August to be over and for school to start. Now that I live where I live, I am so happy school doesn’t start in August here! August days tend to be some of the best summer days in my city.

Someone recently told me that she heard another person talking about how summer is like an extended weekend. The month of June is like Friday– such a relief from the busy school year, everything is new and fresh, and it feels like summer just stretches out long in front of you with plenty of time for all the things! The month of July is like Saturday, filled with all the things you can’t fit into your normal schedule. Then comes August. Sunday. It’s a time of rest and relaxation, but also you can’t help but to start stressing about all the schedule changes coming up, and the intensity of the approaching school year, and you know it will be fine once you are in it, but all the anticipation feels like a rock in your stomach, and you aren’t ready for summer to end! It’s just like how I feel on Sunday night. I don’t want the weekend to end, but I am trying to enjoy that it is still the weekend! At the same time I am furiously trying to prepare for Monday. And when Monday actually rolls around, it’s never as bad as I think it is going to be.

The first Tuesday in August is the annual city-wide neighborhood activity night. On our street, two sets of neighbors just across the street host a potluck picnic in their yard. This year there seemed to be a collective mourning that this picnic was already happening! It was already August! We had to suddenly start thinking about the end of summer!

Tonight as I was walking just after sunset I noticed three different houses where someone was sitting on their front porch with a reading light enjoying being outside in the summer evening even though the daylight disappears earlier and earlier this month.

This August I have to come to grips with two kids leaving to go back to college or leaving for college the first time. I hate it. But I know it will eventually be OK.

In the meantime, I will spend my August days soaking up having four of five kidlets in my house and appreciating all the lush plants outside, the flowers in their prime, the trails in the forest ready for my walking shoes, easy trips to the playground with my small one and splendid minutes spent in my hammock under the crab apple tree.