"Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few ..."
from September Song
The calendar may say that summer ends with the First Day of Autumn, this year falling on September 23rd, but for most of us it ends with Labor Day and the beginning of the new school year. Although summer may not be my most favorite season, I think it deserves a good send-off.
Every year it seems that Back-To-School supplies and Halloween decorations start showing up in stores earlier and earlier. This year I spied the first of these in July. July? Didn't we just celebrate the Fourth of July, and now we're selling notebooks and plastic pumpkins a few weeks later? Why do we rush the seasons by so fast? The older I get, the faster the days seem to go by. I don't need any reminders, believe me. I'm all for businesses being able to make a decent profit, but not at the expense of our lives, our senses, and the opportunity to make memories.
Our kids will only be kids for a short time. You can buy school supplies any time, but how often will you be able to play on the beach in the sand with them? How much longer will you be able to go camping with them, staring up at the stars in the night-time sky, roasting marshmallows?
And what about us? We still have time to walk on the beach and collect seashells. We still have time to take a walk in the woods, sit outside on a starry night, throw some hot dogs and burgers on the grill and spend time outdoors together. Let's not be in such a hurry to let that all go. Our time together on this earth is so short as it is.
Now, if I'm being honest, I have to admit that Fall is, indeed, my favorite season, but that doesn't mean we should give summer a shorter time. Even though this particular summer wasn't the greatest weather-wise in my neck of the woods, I'll still miss waking up to the sounds of birds calling to each other, squirrels chattering, and a morning sun that beckons me outside. We still have a few last days to make the most of the summer we have left. Let's give summer the send-off it deserves.
And so it is.
