Battle worn

Today marks Day 2 of summer school for my kiddos, which means more free time to write, walk, and weed the garden– hurrah! I love the freedom I have to take time off during the summer (my particular faculty contract means I’ll always teach fall and spring terms, but can volunteer to take on summer classes) and to spend more time with my kids. But, these last two summers I have to admit I’ve looked forward to the 4 weeks I enroll my kiddos in our school district’s half-day summer program.

The kids seem to love it, too. Our district offers fun summer classes, like Fishing, Swimming, Origami, “Diggin’ Desserts” (where they make and eat fun treats), Lego Adventures, and about 50 others, so they are spending their time meeting new people and having fun, while learning skills they’re interested in.

My oldest took the fishing class last summer and, not to brag, but the last time we went fishing, he didn’t ask us to unhook a fish or untangle a line at all– he did it all on his own, and it was amazing! 🤩 Now, we just need to bring the other two to this level of independence, and Mom and Dad might score a chance to fish, too. 😉

Honestly, the first lines of today’s poem were originally born through frustration. I’ve had some anxiety around driving ever since we were in a minor head-on collision (we were stopped at a traffic light and a vehicle making an illegal turn hit us at a slow speed). So, nowadays, I’m more likely to notice the people swerving into my lane because they’re distracted and on their phones, or the ones who gun it and run a red light, or those that don’t even slow down through a stop sign. It’s unfortunate just how often I witness these things happening. I’m convinced that half of the drivers out there need to re-take driver’s ed.

Despite my occasional frustration with driving (living in the rural Midwest, we drive EVERYWHERE), I like to think the poem evolved into something a bit more. Maybe a reflection on the changing pace of busy school year to summer relaxation, or contemplation on the ways I’m learning to take life slowly and enjoy each moment, even when it seems unconventional in today’s fast-paced, aggressive world. Either way, today (and probably most of the summer), I’m going to try my best to take it slow and to wander, nose-deep in the sunsets. ❤️