farewell to summer

caedmon charles

4 months

smile, its the last weekend of summer. labor day is here, which is a holiday that is supposed to remind us of something important, but i can never remember what it is. only that it makes me think of labor, which is something that shannon has done twice while i stood next to her and cried. actually, labor day, for me, is more significant as a signal of the end of summer and a re-entry into the schedule of the fall. college football started this week. the pros start this coming week. school has begun. and life, for better or for worse, is back to its normal rhythm.

and so today i stand and salute the summer. thank you, dear season, for your long days and (sometimes unbearable) heat. thank you for vacations and road trips. thank you for so much baseball. thank you for hamburgers and hot dogs. thank you for the way you shun routine. thank you for thunderstorms and fireworks. and now, goodbye. until next year when we will await your coming to us with great expectation, goodbye.

greg.