In Memoriam

...of summer.

Of waking up to a knock on my bedroom door because my dad didn't want me to waste the day. (I think I slept past nine maybe once.)

Of rushing frantically to close all the windows in the house when I realized it was about to be warmer outside than it was inside.

Of sitting in a semi-trance before a tv screen... at two in the afternoon.

Of laughing at Casiah's explosive hairstyle when she wakes up.

Of reading whenever I want.

Of desperately missing my friends because I'd gone two weeks without hearing from them.

Of sleepovers in the middle of the week, just because we can.

In Memoriam of this summer.

Of mourning over relationships changed and lost.

Of walking up the steps to the daycare and hearing three children under three feet tall yell my name.

Of realizing that I didn't have a child's summer this year.

Of (almost) driving off the edge of our driveway with my two-day-old permit.

Of walking down the San Diego beach, listening to the waves.

Of my only sixteenth birthday, involving sixty-four birthday cards in the wrong mailbox at three in the morning.

Of hanging off of a tube for dear life, laughing my head off with old friends.

In Memoriam of this summer's laughter, tears, excitement, abject boredom, exhaustion, good books, long days, short nights, new friends, old friends, and changed perspectives. In Memoriam of this special chapter of life, and looking forward to a chapter all it's own:

A chapter of friendships continued.

Knowledge and information to be explored.

Long emails written in response to even longer ones.

A special wedding of two special people.

A once more happily crowded house.

New teachers, new classes.

The knowledge that I've survived this long, by God's grace, and the excitement of  "What's next?"

In Memoriam of you, dear Summer of 2013. We had our moments, our very specific ups and downs. But you were beautiful. Thank you.