Back to School…
There’s a subtle tension in the air. On the one hand, the late-summer greets us with sweetness. Cooler temperatures bring relief paired with the grounding of settling back into a school year routine. On the other hand, we grapple with the grief that summer is over and the speed of the passage of time hits us.
There’s a bit of a buzz. Like the bees we realize we have to gather as much sweetness as possible while the flowers are still blooming. Fall will bring its own unique gifts that we may love dearly, but the gifts of summer are departing.
This tension erupts in families in all sorts of ways. Children are excited to return to school but may also be overwhelmed by the change of pace. Adults are looking at the calendars, bewildered by how much shuttling and scuttling needs to happen on top of work and household duties.
Why are we so busy? And yet, let’s appreciate the richness of life and squeeze as much out of it was we can.
It feels like a contemplative time in which there’s no time or space for contemplating. I feel this transition asking me take stock, asses and evaluate the choices we’ve made and are making. But I struggle to find the time answer, or maybe I’m filling my time to avoid difficult questions.
So, in these coming days and weeks I’ll do my best to carve out moments. Sit with my journal instead of with Netflix. Meet someone for a run or hike before work. Take some time during lunch to call a friend. And I’ll keep my eyes and heart open, seeking out time and space for spontaneous insight, for going a tad deeper, and even for slowing down amidst the motion.
And maybe it’s in the toggle I’ll discover the most. That dramatic shift from the chaos of dinner and bedtime to the quiet house once all the kids are asleep. Or the shift from a slow sweet morning still in bed to the hustle to get breakfasts and lunches made and the kids out the door on time for school.
Wherever you can, seek the sweetness, find the humor and levity, and stalk the silliness like a hunter. Capture the beauty of the crazy moments. And fill your heart with the spoils of your efforts. Our beautiful families may drive us mad, but let it at least be madness imbued with glee.
Warmly,
Noah and Dave