End of Summer...

I know that Labor Day can be bittersweet. It's not the official "end" of summer on the calendar. It's the end of the season for a lot of people, though. We're taking down our little blue pool, cleaning up the yard a little and stocking up on firewood. Signs that Fall is just around the corner.

And you know, I can't wait. It has been a tough summer full of loss and drama. My larger-than-life Grandfather passed away after a struggle with prostate cancer. But, in a weird way, I think he was relieved. He's not been the same since my Grandmother died 5 years ago. They were married 51 years, were best friends and he missed her terribly.

Our family was touched by an unspeakable and violent crime this summer. And even though we were only on the periphery of the whole thing, away and removed, it touched our lives. It challenged our safe little assumption of the world. It brought sleepless nights and fear. We realized that the life of someone we knew was a lie. That a whole section of our family keeps us in the dark on important things. The whole thing was a dark walk into an alternate reality.

I was so angry. Angry that this ugliness was brought into our lives. And even though we could go home and leave the lies, violence and the mourning behind, we had to deal with a harsh reality. Had to step out of our comfort zone. Had to lie to our own child about what was going on. He would not understand it. Also, I wasn't ready to let this touch his life. Was it the right decision? I don't know. But it is the one we made.

At the same time I worried about the safety and the future of a young child, too young to understand what happened and left without a father. I pray that God leads his mother and his grandparents in dealing with the aftermath.

We normally have a vacation planned this time of year. However, due to moving across two states and various other things, we had to cancel our vacation. I'm sad that we canceled but also relieved since we were booked at Disney World, arriving on this coming Saturday. It might have been a very wet vacation. This was to be our second trip. One we've been planning for two years. We've rescheduled for February. I can't seem to get excited about it, though. It's probably just planning burn-out.

Anyway, in my mind, summer is coming to an end. I'll miss the long warm nights outside, lightening bugs in a jar and splashing in the pool. It's not been a happy season, though. I'm happy to be on the back side of it.

I am so ready for baked oatmeal, sweatshirts, throw blankets over cold toes, hot chocolate, cool evenings and bonfires, beautiful leaves, simmering pots of chili, hay bails and scarecrows, picking pumpkins, carving pumpkins, Halloween candy, and on and on.

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the change in the weather. I love wearing warmer clothes and cozy socks. The holidays are just around the corner but far enough away that there is time to put together a good plan. I recommend Organized Christmas. I'll be assembling my notebook today.

Hopefully, today, we move on to bigger and better things. It's going to be one of the hottest days of the year. So, the start of Fall is mostly in my mind. I can live with that.