Early this morning, summer vacation officially came to an end, and The Greatest Kid On The Planet went off to school. It was his first day of middle school, and the first time I didn’t walk him to the bus stop on day one. He’s a sixth-grader now, a big kid getting on the bus with other big kids, and walking to the bus stop with his mom just isn’t cool.
In a way, I miss the days when he was a little less independent, but not as much as I enjoy where we are now. Other parents often tell me to cherish every moment, because before I know it, he’ll be off to college. It all goes by in the blink of an eye.
But for me, it doesn’t feel that way. I remember the first time I held my son, how small he was, and how enchanted I felt as he lay in my arms, but it doesn’t feel like it was yesterday. There has been so much life and living in between that time and today, so many people, events, places, so many moments, all of them complete and fully felt.
Life is a series of endings and beginnings, and we try to make the most of each one. We love summer and being on vacation, and we hate to see it end. We enjoy the time off, and the beach, and the fun with family, and the sand and the surf. And I especially love marveling through the produce in the market, filling my basket with the gems and jewels that only summer can bring.
Now, it’s going to be quiet in the house again with The Greatest Kid back at school. But I’ll fill the silence with my own thoughts, and when that gets to be too much, Masako’s A Tale of Lonely Otter will fill in the empty spaces.
But even while the end of vacation is followed closely by the waning of our summer days, there is only a faint shadow of disappointment. For, as we say in our home, no matter where we are or what we’re doing, there is always something to look forward to.
The end of summer vacation means the beginning of football season, and it doesn’t get any better than that. It’s a trade off The Greatest Kid On The Planet will gladly make, even if it means rising each morning slightly shy of the crack of dawn. And there is so much to love about Fall. I will, again, enjoy my back porch in the middle of the day and breathe in the cool air, and watch the colors change. There is a clarity to the stars and the moon as the weather grows cooler that the summer sky just doesn’t bestow.
And then the temperature will grow colder still, and I’ll trade out my summer cookbooks for our winter favorites, and our kitchen will be cozy and smell like spiced apples and cinnamon, and, dare I say it, before long, a forest of evergreen. A different kind of excitement, as palpable as that of the summer sun, will fill the air.
Those are all things we love just as much as summer vacation. I always tell The Greatest Kid when he’s waiting for something, “Don’t wish the time away. Everything you’re awaiting will eventually come, so make the most of the moments in between.” Before we know it, that colder air will once again give way to Spring, and I’ll be sitting right back here on my back porch, just as I am now.
Right now, The Greatest Kid is in bed asleep, it’s dark and strangely cool outside for a summer night, and the rain is steadily falling. I have a blanket over my legs, my favorite tea in front of me, and Philip Wesley serenading me through my speakers.
Tomorrow morning, the bus will drive by our home at 8:08, and The Greatest Kid On The Planet will walk to the bus stop for his second day at school. And later, when he comes home, we’ll eat a quick meal then rush off to the football field for practice. And then, before you know it, it will be Saturday, and there will more football and more fun. I can hardly wait.
But I can. Right now, at this moment, I’m happy where I am.
M.C. Greene
(Photo by Min C. Chiu)