The Turn

The screen door slammed behind me, as I hurriedly headed outside to get my chores done. Once down the steps of the front porch and into the yard, I paused for a moment.  I felt it. There was no mistaking the feeling; it was in the air.  I’m talking about what I call “the turn”. I look for it every summer; however, it was in no way on my mind on this day, after 10 straight days of above 90 degree weather. But there it was; that still, calm change in the air which lets me know autumn is really not far from making her appearance.

That doesn’t mean we are not going to have lots of days of summer left. We will, but it will go quickly now. The turn is just a gentle reminder, of what lies ahead.  Maybe this is a chance to look back at what has happened thus far during this season of sun. Maybe it’s the time to contemplate what else one would like to accomplish before the opportunity is lost for another year. Either way, it always brings for me a moment of reflection; a reminder of the changing seasons and how quickly they come and go.  Fleeting moments that the older one gets, the more difficult it becomes to grab hold of them.

It has been a beautiful, wondrous summer in the way of weather this year.  I do not remember a more perfect summer since I was a kid in the ‘60’s.  These are the old fashioned kinds of summers that I remember from my youth. They have been rare since then it seems.

But in the way of summer fun and traditional activities, I have really missed out this year. No beach days, no picnics, no travel. And yet, because the workload has been stronger, the moments of pleasure have been more acute; I guess due to the scarcity of those moments.

Here’s hoping to finding a little more summer, in a lot less time.