Day 3

Saying Goodbye to Summer

I find I always get a little sad when summer ends. I think it goes back to those carefree days as a kid, when you could play all day and didn't have a care in the world. And then it was time to go back to school--back to full days of classes and homework.

I still cling to the happiness and warmth of summer, wearing flip-flops, even when it's too cold and putting on those summer clothes I ought to put away.

But fall has it's perks, too. It brings pleasant days without the blistering heat. It brings the smell of bonfires, carved pumpkins and warm apple cider. The surrounding landscapes transform into lovely shades of gold, orange and scarlet.

As with summer, I find myself in the midst of this move clinging to the familiar. Like a child who is afraid to part with their blanky, I find myself holding on to what's comfortable and familiar.

Although I've been wanting this move for a long time, when the news came, I found myself feeling a little hesitant. I was sharing my anxiety with my husband, who said to me, "But, you wanted this. We've been working on this for a long time."

As a kid, instead of a blanky, I had a t-shirt from soccer camp. It was old and worn out. I'd had it for about seven years. I knew I should get rid of it, but it was so hard to let it go! I don't really know why. It didn't make any sense--I guess it was because of the good memories.

It's funny how we can do this. We can cling to the familiar, the comfortable, because it's safe. And even though we know it's time to let go, in the face of change, we start to glorify our past experiences. We forget about the sweltering days of summer, the time we got knocked down playing soccer, or maybe the reasons we called it quits in a relationship that didn't work out. We think only of the good times.

But change is something we have to accept, because it will happen whether we like it or not. I do believe their is value in reflecting on your past experiences, but not to get stuck there. Because, although the season ahead will be different, it will have new things to offer.