The Last Day of Summer

The last day of July is the unofficial official last day of summer.  It is the day before the e-mails from school and professional development and general reentry of work into my conscious thought process occurs.  Looking back over this month, my couple posts have been short and lacking any real insight because this blog is part of my "normal" routine, and July is the time that affords me the opportunity to forget temporarily about structure and traditional time usage.  July gives us a time to forget about the day of the week and the time on the clock and enjoy living moment to moment rather than minute to minute:  we eat when hungry, play when inspired, and sleep when tired.  

The days, rather than blocks of time, have become parades of events and experiences.  There is no complex formula to the month of July in terms of how we decide to live.  Rather, we wake-up every morning, and after a dog walk and breakfast, we decide what mood the group is in and attack the day.  July is a time to temporarily do away with one part of my life in order to discover other, more muted areas that also define who I am and who we are as a family.  July provides time to consider the past, both professionally and personally.  It also presents pockets of contemplation about the future and what we need moving forward in our life.  However, all of this will have to readjust tomorrow as the new month and its wave of new routines and responsibilities begins to erode the banks of summer and flow into the ever-changing river of fall.  

This summer has been a sweet time of simple pleasures with my daughters and wife.  We have been lucky enough to have many visits to Indiana to see Grandma Dixie and the rest of the family on that side.  Trips to the parks, zoos, and museums have filled many of our days.  We have also had our share of lazy summer days, too hot to be outside.  In between, playing with the neighbors, taking long walks, and lots of reading and playing take place every day.  

August first is an exciting time in our schedules, as it represents continued growth and evolution as a family.  We all look forward to the changing of the leaves, Audrey beginning preschool, and Violet doing whatever comes next in her life.  While the overall tone of this post feels glum, it is meant only to emphasize how deeply our time together is treasured each summer.  As mentioned earlier, it is healthy to forget about parts of ones' life to rediscover other areas.  However, it is also refreshing to remember again the parts of life that provide structure and overall support of our family.  

Goodbye summer.  We will always remember you, and await your return next year when we are ready to forget again.

-a