I got back from the Outer Banks late Wednesday night, just 12 hours before my older son was to start his last year of high school. Yes, we pushed the envelope and extended beach time as long as we could here since next summer he is off to college, and thus the last weeks of August will most likely entail moving him into a dorm instead of relaxing on the beach. Yesterday I took the last “first day of school” photo of him next to the lamppost where we have marked this occasion over the years. Then he jumped into his car and took off for school since for seniors the bus is very passé. I stood there remembering taking him to pre-school buckled into a car seat in the back of the car, which seems like yesterday. I confess to succumbing to a puddle of emotion as he drove away. A number of my friends have children starting college this year, and I am living their experiences vicariously. I am not sure if firsts or lasts are harder.

September is a time for new beginnings. After summer, where time was measured by the sunny days, the temperature of the water and the direction of the winds, September always draws one up with a jolt as we return to responsibilities and routine. My sons are back in school, and the alarms go off around our house a lot earlier than any of us want to hear them. We ended the summer with a great trip to the Outer Banks and still am kicking the sand from between my toes as I write this. I spent most of our vacation reading while floating in the pool. It had been a hectic summer of sheetrock dust, early mornings and late nights with our office renovation, which took almost four weeks and thus I was happy to do as little as possible to rejuvenate myself. For a blog about what I read as I floated, click here.