I wrote on our white board this morning, “13 more days until school starts…saddest countdown ever.” I know most parents can’t wait until the school year begins; I’m not one of them. I suppose I get it from my mother, who hated when the summer was over, too. I suppose it wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t have to be up and out of the house at 6 a.m. or come home, dragging their tired bodies, only to do another hour of homework. By the time they eat and get everything ready for the next day, it’s time for bed. Gross. I can’t stand it. Seven straight hours of whatever they do there at that school should be sufficient. Why saddle them with more book work when they retreat home?
But, back to summer ending. The retailers don’t really give you a chance to lament the end of summer. They begin carting in school supplies early July. And, I promise you, I went into Hobby Lobby for some curtain backing material last week (July, mind you) and their Halloween items were 40% off and they were unpacking Christmas trees. Say what? Can we just take a breather here? July is for kiddie pools going on sale, gooey bottles of blow bubbles marked down, and gardening supplies half off. Not jingle bells and mistletoe!
It made me want to come home and rip up all my flowers out of the gardens and dig holes for mums, while they were still at the store and not being muscled out by the Frasier firs. I looked around at my ol’ Geraniums. Worn out by the beating sun and weeks of drought. They were tired. My Hydrangeas were faded and the blooms were crunching at the edges. The Drift rosebushes, however, were giving one last thrust of a second bloom and probably wishing they had arms to swat the pesky beetles that are snacking on the petals. But, alas, it’s all coming to an end… in just 13 short days. I don’t need to remind myself that this is the last year my oldest son will be returning to high school. Take out the tissues now, please!
So, I scratched down something this morning, marking such a sad realization:
Chasing the end
like a cat to a tail
Summer is fading
And I’m not feeling well.
Time is fleeting
Going too fast
like after a hard run
And all that’s left is a heavy heart beating.
It sounds loud in my ear
Reminding me of all that’s slipping away,
Youth, warmth, good times, and another year.
One step closer
One step farther away,
To the end
To the beginning.
It just depends on what you say…
Good-bye summer or,
Hello Fall
Think of it this way – you still have good weather. We are freezing our tooshies off her in Melbourne, Australia.
In regards to school going back, my eldest is in Uni, my youngest is in yr 11 doing VCE. They are growing up so quickly. 18 months before my youngest finished school….so sad.
I’m sorry to hear you’re cold. I agree, I’d much rather have warm weather. And, it is sad they have to grow up. I’m going to miss all of this togetherness!