I bought it about 17 summers ago at a shop in Hagerstown, Maryland. I hang it on the front door right around this time every year. Predictably, when I pull out this copper sunflower, each time, I end up a bit reflective and always thankful. Also predictably, the coleus plants are wildly blooming on the front steps, the air is heavy with humidity, and our house is very lived-in at this point in the summer!
In my own little private emotional tradition, I assess what has been since school let out. Our days have been free, busy, and like one long weekend. We have been blessed with baseball, swimming, family, and friends. Some fun trips have come and gone this summer—- Cape May, Kentucky, and Michigan. The kids have enjoyed their friends and freedom. And my number on the scale indicates more than a few trips for ice cream!
But now, as August comes scurrying along, I am wishing for more summer nights on the deck and slow mornings to read. Very likely someday, I will look back and acknowledge summers as some of our very best times as a family. My career choice as a teacher, has worked out well for us in this matter… I fully realize as I sit pool-side, many moms are putting in long hours elsewhere.
For me, just as there is a bit of melancholy in August and the wrapping up of summer, there is also a new hope. The long, easy days will once again turn schedule-ridden and rigid, churning us into more productive beings. The faces of new teachers and the rising of new opportunities will be a welcomed sight. My 11 year-old and 6 year-old will enter uncharted territories, and with the Lord’s help, will flourish. And this week, I will enter my classroom, rearranging, planning, and mentally readying myself for what’s to come.
Just as much as we need the new sneakers and backpacks, we also need to savor what’s left of these sweet summer days. For very soon, that copper sunflower will witness “first day of school” pictures and rushed mornings.
It’s all a blessing, though. I am incredibly thankful for what has been and what will come.
Thank you, Lord, for the rest and pause of summer, so that we may be refreshed in new efforts for the fall. Bless each family as they transition into a new school year. Help us to meet challenges and new schedules as they come. Give us joy in every season to make both memories and progress… to hone skills and give our best attitude to the days ahead. Amen.
