Fall? Really?

It happened today with no notice - no warning - no discernible sign. Well, ok, maybe I ignored the signs. But here's what happened. The family decided to have a last family weekend before school starts. They packed up the car and headed to Hershey for a long weekend. They stayed in the grandparent's RV and had an action packed, family oriented weekend. The togetherness and closeness was wonderful. The daughter and husband had so much fun on the rides and everyone laughed a lot and it didn't even matter that it rained for most of the weekend. There was marshmallow roasting and smore making along with stories by the campfire. Yahtzee and Catchphrase were played and enjoyed by all. Sunday morning..... a campground pancake breakfast and packing up, then home. As the family pulled up in front of the house, the mother was mortified to see her beautiful dogwood, you know, the one that greets summer visitors with bright green, glorious foliage, was now no longer green. No, it was reddish-green. The daughter thought maybe it was just the reflection of the sunlight. The mother turned away in horror and said, "No, sweetie, it's fall" as a lone tear dripped down her face.

Ok, so maybe the tear is a bit of an exaggeration, but the horror was real. I couldn't believe that the tree was starting to turn red. I know there were other signs that summer is coming to an end. Buying uniforms and new shoes. Packing new bookbags with fresh supplies. Finishing summer book reports. The pool hours changing. Public school kids going back to school. I knew it would happen to us too, eventually, but just not so quickly. Don't get me wrong. I love school, love SUS. But I really, really love summer! I love the relaxed atmosphere and the time spent outdoors. I love seeing the kids tanned running around with no cares. I suppose, though, it wouldn't feel so special and magical if it weren't something we earned throughout the rest of the year. It is like a reward for a job well done for all of us.

So fall isn't so bad, and school starting is really a good thing. Its a fresh start and an opportunity to learn more and meet new people. It is the opportunity to work hard and begin to rack up those bonus points to be used sometime in late May when summer comes again and the reward is granted to us one more time.