It is that time of year. Summer is drawing to an end. And the start of school is here. The days that are filled with statements like,
“That went by so quick.”
“Where did the summer go?”
“We never made it to (insert place/thing) like we said we were going to.”
Behind these statements are things like this:
“I hope we made the most of the summer….”
“I hope my child really enjoyed this summer…”
“I hope my child is ready to start this new year…”
Deeper still things linger below these:
“Are we okay as parents? As a family?”
“Are we enough as parents? As a family?”
You might be saying, “Wow Kevin, you had to get really serious over a simple transition of the kids going back to school. Can you ease up a bit? It is just school.”
I get that. I really do.
But here is the thing, I think we all go through a version of this when we come to any transitions in life. We have things that lie under the surface that come out in very simple and tame statements. We have emotions and feelings or lack there of. Change is change, seasons come and seasons go. Transitions are not easy.
Here is the bottom line:
As seasons change, are you learning and growing? Are the experiences you had in the last season shaping the way you are living and being in the present? The memories you made, are they postcards on the refrigerator of your mind, or are they stepping stones to your next adventure (or both)?
As I reflect a bit this morning, summer has held many sacred memories. Memories that are not easily summed up. Some memories that were life changing for our family. Our kids are growing up, and our family is maturing. This has been really evident to me this summer.
But the summer days are wrapping up and a new season is beginning. Today instead of mourning the quickness of the summer, I am finding the life lessons in the memories and experiences that call me forward and shape my new season.
I will not look back with regret but look ahead with expectation — of what will be and what can be.
I invite you to do the same.
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