Is anyone else ready to jump off this sweet Summer time bandwagon and move on towards Fall?

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m tired.  Tired of Summer.  Tired of trying to come up with creative things for the kids to play.  Tired of pretending to be a cat, a horse, or any type of animal for that matter.  Tired of the “long, lazy” days of Summer.  Who came up with this expression anyway?

I know for so many of you, Summer is your favorite time of year.  Fewer schedules to keep can indeed be relaxing.  Longer days means more time for all of your favorite outdoor pastimes.  If you’re a beach person, there’s nothing like a warm day, toes in the sand, sunlight shimmering off the water in shades of silver.

However, all of this “laziness” and these “flexible schedules” can quickly look a lot more like “work” and “chaos,” or so it seems to me lately.  I’m feeling my patience start to wane for the long days that tend to lend themselves to later bedtimes.  I’m feeling my desire for nurturing creativity with my children diminish with each new paint spill splattered all over the floor.  I’m feeling my Super-Mom persona take backstage to just surviving one more L-O-N-G, lazy day without losing my mind!

Our Summer started off pretty well.  Early on, we made a Summer wish list that included things such as visiting the zoo, playing in the creek, eating ice-cream, and hiking (I use this term loosely) a mountain.  We’ve done all of this and more.  We’ve painted, and played Candy Land.  We’ve grilled hamburgers, baked cookies, and played Candy Land.  We’ve visited family, enjoyed dance camp, and taken in a minor league baseball game.  And, we’ve played Candy Land.  We have enjoyed our Summer thus far, but I’m beginning to feel that shift deep inside…That feeling that says it’s time for a change.

I’m ready for Fall.  I’m ready for routine.  I’m ready for the first cool, crisp day.  I’m ready for burnt-orange leaves, long sleeve T-shirts, and football.  I’m ready for pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin spice lattes…Which I don’t drink, but I love seeing them on menus nonetheless.  In short, I’m ready for change, or so I think.

While the prospect of Fall brings many good thoughts to mind, it also brings with it some things that make me feel a little nostalgic such as the first day of Kindergarten for my little girl along with both of my children’s birthdays. In other words, change.  Am I ready for my first born to go to “big” school?  Am I ready for my “babies” to be another year older?  Perhaps not.  Perhaps, instead of wanting to move forward so quickly, I should embrace the season I am in, enjoy it for the gift that it is, knowing it will change soon enough.

I was reminded recently of a conversation my husband once had with a woman in hospice.  She was an incredible person who had the most poignant outlook on life.  When asked about lessons she had learned over a life of many years, she said this:  “The key to finding peace is the ability to embrace the season that you’re in and to be appreciative of the day you’ve been given.”  If a woman in hospice, could embrace this difficult season of her life, thankful for the gift of one more day, shouldn’t I be able to do the same?

I’m excited for Fall, and I think it’s okay to look forward to a new season both literally and figuratively.  I also believe that it is natural to feel the burn out at times, whether it’s with parenting, careers, or life in general.  But I am so thankful for my reminder today to count it all joy and to be appreciative of the time and of the season I am given.

And maybe, just maybe, I’ve got at least one more game of Candy Land in me yet.

Psalm 118: 24 says, “This is the day that the Lord has made  Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”