I love summer. Well, really I love summer break. I have to admit I get giddy when that last week of school arrives in early June for my kids. No more crazy schedules (well, less hectic, not entirely lacking in crazy). No more school lunches to worry about. No more homework, projects and papers for me to sign. It's just a respite from the regular and I love it.
But on the eve of summer break ending, I am ready to say good-bye to this summer. It's bittersweet to me because I was so looking forward to this summer. The summer of 2010 was especially great. We didn't do amazing things, but it just seemed every day was filled with something fun. I certainly thought the greatness of last summer would spill over into this summer, especially when we solidified our plans for Disney World, a trip I've been wanting to give my children for years. I thought this summer would be amazing.
And, there certainly were parts of it that were amazing. But, much of it was overshadowed by some pretty dark days. Even the much-anticipated Disney trip was overshadowed by Will's broken knee and the news of my skin cancer. At that point, it seemed that this summer was doomed. What I also learned is that it's incredibly difficult when one of the adults in a household is sick or struggling with health issues. But two? All I'm going to say is it takes its toll - on everything and everyone.
So, as my children prepare to go back to school, I am actually giddy tonight. Really, I'm hopeful. Jasmine starts her senior year of high school. Jadyn starts junior high. Janessa starts second grade. There's a sense of clean renewal in my home. I can feel the dark of this summer leaving our house, even as the craziness of the school year falls on us. This summer was a surprisingly trying season in our lives. I don't know why we experienced everything we did. And I don't need to. What I do know is that I need to savor every moment of life, whether it shows up as planned or not. I also learned that there's more to me than I've been letting surface in recent years. Funny how a brush with the C-word brings out parts of you that you had forgotten were there. And, I know that struggles make life sweeter.
With those lessons learned, I'm hopeful for what this new season of life will bring and I'm more than ready to say good-bye to summer 2011.
