A Farewell to Summer

Well, it's officially over. Summer, that is. Today at 3:44 p.m., we say goodbye until June 21, 2009 at 5:45 a.m.

Of course, for students and teachers, summer ended nearly a month ago, when the first bell rang on the first day of the new school year. And their anticipation (or perhaps, dread) of that day began sometime in July when the first back-to-school commercials hit the airwaves. Before you know it, those ads will start in mid-June, as soon as the school year ends, kind of like the way Christmas ads begin around Halloween.

And for those who spend their summers, or a good deal of them, poolside, summer ended officially the Tuesday after Labor Day weekend when the pools closed down for the winter months. Never mind that there will still be plenty of days warm enough for a dip in the water...the lifeguards had to get back to school.

And for those who work year round, with only a number of weeks of vacation to last them the whole year, summer is air-conditioning season. They'll know it's not summer anymore when the building's temperature control system switches over to the furnace, especially on those unusually hot days of Indian summer when there's no AC to be had and no windows in the cubicle to open.

For those of us who prefer the more temperate climes of fall and spring to the humid scorchers of mid-summer, it's not such a sad goodbye. Sure, I'll miss going barefoot in the grass, wearing sleeveless shirts and open-toe sandals, doing my morning pages on the front porch, and eating fresh watermelon, strawberries, corn, and tomatoes. But I won't miss mowing the lawn or 90 degree days with 90% humidity.

To those who live for three months in the middle of the year, here's a little reminder of the joys of the other three seasons: in the fall, the changing leaves against a backdrop of blue skies, temperatures in the 70's, and a new fall line-up instead of endless reruns; in the winter, snow days, down comforters, and snuggling up in front of a warm fire; and in the spring, a rainbow of colorful blossoms, cleansing April showers, and (if you're lucky) spring break.

So be sure to dedicate a few moments today to a last hurrah for Summer, whether it be savoring a soft-serve ice cream cone, swinging at the playground, or sneaking outside when nobody's watching for a ten-minute break.

And remember, it's not really good-bye -- it's just so long for now.