August and Everything After

I decided to borrow the name of a Counting Crows album for this post because it seemed like a fitting title for it. As the month of August winds down and the end of summer draws near, my thoughts turn to the change that is in the air. The cooler days, the leaves turning color. I can already feel the autumn, the way you can sense that someone is standing behind you. I can recall how, as a child, at this time of year I would be anticipating the start of a new school year with a combination of nervousness and excitement.

Sure, it's a drag to have the summer fun end and to have to hunker down at school again, or to start getting ready for the inevitable onset of winter. Or maybe deal with times of uncertainty and feeling blue. But autumn is still a good time of the year.

While there are things to be missed (for now), the fall brings with it its own set of simple pleasures. The flowers may be gone, but they are replaced with the brilliant, colorful fall foliage unfolding and seeing the leaves drop from the trees, and drift slowly to the ground. Going barefoot outside gives way to hearing the crunch of leaves under your feet. I love that sound, as well as the swishing sound of the leaves being raked. And soon my cat will have a whole new pile of crisp, fragrant leaves in which to curl up and nap.

Things will change. It's inevitable. Maybe they will be good, maybe they will be rough. And then maybe they will get better.

Though sometimes we wish we could, we can't stop time from moving forward. Much as we may want to go back in life, to happier days or better times, we can't. We can try to fight it, we can cling to August with all our might, not wanting the summer to end, not wanting things to change. Grabbing every good moment we can and holding on to it for as long as we can.

But August has to end, and we have to move forward. There will be changes, and hopefully, there will be more good moments and happy days.