Only for a season...
Seasons have a funny way of bringing back memories and then repeating themselves in a similar, but new and different way. Now that summer has arrived, I catch myself reliving memories of past summers. Working in my garden makes me recall the summers I toiled and sweated to put in the plants that are now fully grown. It motivates me to keep planting new ones for the future.
The end of this week will be the start of our 10th annual trek to Cass Lake, Minnesota. Ahhhh...the memories of lakeside views, sunsets, eagle sightings, loon calls, fishing trips, big family picnics, and bike rides keep popping into my head...motivating me to keep working on the laundry and packing.
This year, in particular, brings back some not-so-distant memories of last summer and our adventures with Leah's surgery and subsequent Type 1 diagnosis. The end of the school year small talk usually revolves around one's summer plans, and I recall telling everyone last year about the big surgery looming on our calendar. It was scheduled for July 15...two days after our return from Minnesota. Although recalling the events of last summer can be difficult, it's a relief to know that those memories are just that...memories. The experiences of last summer are thankfully, not seasonal, and won't be repeating themselves this summer.
And Leah has moved on. Just yesterday, she passed her driver's test and got her license! She and Chloe are out and about as I write this. As she moves toward independence, I have new-found freedom! After playing the role of taxi-driver (my license plate says "KIDMVR") off and on since my oldest started preschool 19 years ago, I'm more than happy to quit that job! So, what am I going to do with all these freed-up hours in my day? Oh, I don't know...probably garden, and do laundry, and maybe write a few blog posts. Of course, I'll also take on another part-time job...that is the "Anxious Parent of a Teen Driver" role. My phone just rang, and when I saw "Chloe" on the caller ID, my heart skipped a beat. Everything was okay. The girls just wanted to know if they could go to Starbucks after their lesson. :)
As I watch the Summer of 2014 unfold, I'm grateful for the memory that is last summer. For competent physicians, for health restored, for support of family and friends. And I'm thankful that we can now move on. We're reliving the memories of summers gone by, but mostly we're relishing in the joy of making new ones! I hope the same is true for you.