Dusting off the keyboard, pulling the cord on the dangling light bulb in my brain, reminding myself how to log on to Substack…
Hello! I’m back from my summer screen sabbath. And what a summer it’s been! I’ll share details, both professional and personal, in a few days when I write to everyone, but I first wanted to greet you fine folks, you paying subscribers of The Commonplace who make my work possible. I’m so grateful for you. 💛
As always, the summer has absolutely whooshed by. Every year I begin these seasonal sabbaths with an assumption I will get So Very Much Done, and every year I return from my break with a humble awareness that I needed a break far more than I realized, I didn’t get as much done as I assumed I would, and yet there is very little to do but shrug my shoulders, say “life goes on,” and re-enter the delightful fray with the renewed perspective that is my valuable prize.
Did I get book-writing done? Yes, absolutely. As much as I needed or wanted? Not by a long shot. Did I enjoy some precious family time? Yes, for which I’m beyond grateful. Did I have all the deep conversations I hoped I’d have with each of my kids, one-on-one? Of course not. Did I finish some house projects? One or two. Did I cross off that list entirely? Hah!
Such is life.
It’s the dog days of summer around here, hot and humid, wherein we praise the high heavens for swimming and the modern marvel of air conditioning. Heat or no heat, though, summer remains a beloved season of mine in spite of the weather, not because of it. I love summer because of its rhythms. As a teacher and co-op leader, I so appreciate the break from my brain being constantly on in school mode. As a mom of olders, I relish in letting my kids’ giant bodies get the sleep they need and the brief respite from me harping on their schoolwork.
And the trope remains true: we have 18 (ish1) summers with them. It goes by so fast, and I know crossing off my to-do list pales in comparison to quality time with them. My youngest has only three years until he graduates high school, and I know from experience with my olders that when it’s over it’ll have felt like nothing. I genuinely don’t feel old enough to be a near-empty nester, yet here we are. 👵
The sheer volume on my plate this week is laughable, and I need to make some headway on it, so this brief hello is short. You’ll get a longer update from me in a few days, so keep your eye out for it in your inbox — yet I wanted to leave you with two things…
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