finding joy has been a bit quiet.
Too quiet.
Intentionally.
August is ending, the summer drawing to a close. It feels as if it was just June and we had the entire summer stretching in front of us. Vacations, swimming in the pool, freezy pops at ten am. Late night sunsets. Sandcastles.
And, now, here I am with just a couple days left of August. Fall is encroaching, and my blank calendar days are being replaced with ink-filled days. Routine. And that's good. There's something comforting about days that are scheduled, with goals and agendas. Yet, there is those moments, those breaths of bitter-sweet sadness as you say goodbye to another summer. It's the end of this glorious, spontaneous time, late-night, wonderful time of freedom. Next time it rolls around things will be different:
Next year, next summer, Samuel will be on the verge of two.
Next year, next summer, Hannah will begin to learn how to drive.
Next year, next summer, Chloe will be a teenager.
Next year, next summer, Grace will move to middle-school classes at church.
Next year, next summer, Brennan will be almost eight.
Next year, next summer, Caleb will be starting kindergarten.
Next year, next summer, Elijah will be able to play in the back yard and will stay there.
That's next year. For now, I'm going to enjoy my children right where they are. Right now. And that meant not blogging for a couple of days. It meant reading. Running through the sprinkler. Playing games. Picking tomatoes. Ordering curriculum. Enjoying now.
Next summer will come soon enough. So for now, I'm squeezing all the joy out of this summer as I can.
that's the sand castle I made with the kids in July
How about you? What are some of those last days of summer freedoms that you're aching to do?
