Dear August

Oh my dear, dear, August,

How have you been, my friend? I am greeting you this morning with a tad bit of wistfulness, but hope is gurgling just below the surface. It has been a long, hot, dry, and tedious summer so far. I am counting on you to carry us into September in a more gentle way than June and July left us. I feel like I try so hard to do right by you summer months, and too often it feels all for not, despite my best efforts. My energy feels drained. As I begin to understand each of you in your own ways, I can be a little more forgiving of things like July killing the grass this year, or June not sharing enough showers. But, I do so hope you'll be different, August. I know you'll be hot, that's for sure, but please bring your cooler evenings with you again this year and start to darken the skies a bit earlier. And oh how we would all love a rain shower or two too.

So yes, I am a wee bit wistful. I feel tired. Too many early mornings, too many too hot days, too many sibling arguments, too many meltdowns, and too many loads of laundry, having me feeling like I am just trying to get through the day instead of truly enjoying it. But I haven't lost all hope. I know that the next 31 days hold possibility in each of them. The possibility to embrace fun, the possibility to play, the possibility to love, and the possibility to create. It's all there, waiting, for us to discover. Then, before we know it, we'll be packing new totebags full of school supplies, we'll grab a sweater out of the closest, and slowly notice the leaves on the trees start to lighten. Remembering that brings the little gurgle of hope to a bubble. Thanks for that.

You know, you remind me a lot of the half way point of my morning run. At first, it seems like the half way mark is so far away. Then, without hardly realizing it, my feet have carried me there and each step I have less to go than what I have already done. If I look up, it still feels like I have too far to go, but I know once I'm finished it won't feel like it was all that bad.

Until then, as always, I'll try.

Yours truly,
K