Today.

Labor Day.

The unofficial end to summer.

Why do we do that?

Why do we hurry summer—or any season—to a close “unofficially”?

We don’t bring anything but seasons to unofficial ends, or beginnings for that matter.

When I’m 80, will that be my unofficial end?

Did I have an unofficial beginning?

Books sometimes have unofficial beginnings.

They’re called prologues…and I detest them.

If it’s that important, weave it through the story.

Don’t throw it all in at the beginning (unofficially) where I will likely forget all about it when I get to the end (officially) and have to reread it to figure out what the meaning of the entire novel is.

I digress.

So, unofficially, what do we say goodbye to today?

Lazy days?

I guess that’s it.

Now we say hello to school and all the work that brings for parents (driving! shuttling! organizational systems! art supply buying! school supply buying! lunch packing! sports!) and kids (learning! homework! sports!)

But summer isn’t over yet!

We can still have picnics outside.

A day at the beach.

A walk in the sunshine.

We can still go on mini weekend vacations.

You can still play board games with your kids.

We can still enjoy the warm weather.

We can still eat popsicles and ice cream (365 days a year. There’s no rule!).

We can still read “beach reads.”

You and your kids can still do crafts together.

What really changes?

It’s all in how you frame it.

Why do we rush seasons?

Halloween has been sitting hunched like a gargoyle in our local grocery store since the beginning of AUGUST! (The candy corn is screaming at me, but I’m determined to wait at least until October 1^st.)

Santa’s sleigh is ready to land at Costco any day now.

Valentine’s Day will be popping up like early spring flowers before I’ve put away my winter holiday decorations.

Let’s all calm down and enjoy the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer that are still left to us.

Deep breath in.

Deep breath out.

So I hope you enjoy yourself today.

A day that is still well within the bounds of summer…as will tomorrow be and the day after that and the next.

Here are some good summer books for kids ages 8-12 and one really good one for you.

Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway

Summerlost by Ally Condie

Cupcake Cousins by Kate Hannigan

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall

And for you, Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel by Bonnie Garmus.

You’re welcome. 😊

P.S. Here’s a link to my new favorite distraction/diversion.

It’s a Literature Clock. https://literature-clock.jenevoldsen.com/

Until next week (when it will still be summer),

~gail

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