I’m Not Ready To Say Goodbye to Summer!

Especially since there was a heat wave this week! (definition: 3 or more days of a high of over 90 degrees)I know that Labor Day traditionally heralds the end of summer, but I have loved these hot sultry days, and I don’t want the season to end!I tried to extend the summer by 50 minutes on Tuesday morning; instead of driving right to work, Abigail and I snuck off to the beach at 9am. What a golden moment we had. The beach had only two other people on it, a young mother and her less-than-2-year-old daughter. We were virtually alone with the wind, the surf and the sunshine.The quiet and solitude of the deserted beach gave me the opportunity to experience an overwhelming gratitude for all the wonderful moments I had this summer, all the joyous barbecues with families and friends, the great vacation, the weekend guests, the stimulating friendly conversations, the salt-air breezes, the sweating hot humid weather and the cold relief of a swim.The less-than-an-hour retreat gave me the joy of reliving the many highlights of the summer. But the very air I was breathing felt different from the air in the same spot the day before. The nip in the deserted air whispered of fall, and other activities that would keep people away from the sun-worship of the summer.As much as I hate to admitt it, my sun salutations and reflections over the water got me ready to get into the fall mode. At least this year I was not sending anyone back to school. I am grateful to no longer have to leave the pace of summer behind in one baptism of fire and jump into the breathtaking canter through the semester that the kid’s school schedule brought to our house.This year I have the luxury to ease into the fall pace. I can breathe, and only slowly relinquish the time to read, to think about things other than work, and to just absorb the beauty of the day. I keep thinking of lines from my ode to the beach poem, which I posted last year, but still resonates with me:SEPTEMBER BEACHThe less fiery sun still Hot kisses CopperToned skinWarms vibrant colored umbrellas in retreatSand crabby children Entrenched in castles Caw in denial of their departureSun-drenched summer Play days Slip Sand-likeWhite caps on sea green Spray promise Advent of the quintessence of the dayStraw-like hair Waves across my face Farewell departing seasonA tide of new memories rushes out to sea Cooler breezes fill the spaceI linger on the beach still  Wrapped Warmly in summer © jfc 2002© Jane F. Collen September 11, 2015