Thoughts at Summer's End

What a ride these past four months have been. A few nights ago, while walking past an open window in my kitchen, I noted that the breeze blowing in was no longer a warm, humid one, but rather a stiff, cool one. It's the end of summer. The nights are cooler, the kids are gearing up for going back to school, and I am left with a multitude of thoughts and reflections. I'm going to share them with you here -- in no order.

-- I am always going to trust my gut. That little voice in my head, in my stomach, the one that starts off quietly and gets progressively louder and louder until I can't hear anything else. It's like a guardian angel telling me what to do, and you'd better believe the next time it whispers I am going to stand up and take notice immediately.

-- Doing something brave and terrifying and then going about life as normal afterward is possible. It's not only possible, but life is actually better after doing the incredibly difficult thing. Somewhere inside myself I'm looking at myself out the corner of my eye thinking...holy shit...I can't believe I did something so good for myself....wow...didn't even know I was capable of it.

-- To quote the Mamas and Papas, "the darkest hour is just before dawn". The toughest moments this summer were even tougher when I woke up around 4/5AM and they rushed to the forefront of my mind in the darkness of my bedroom. That's why I am going to shamelessly plug Sleep Eze...thank you.

-- I remember being so incredibly excited to ask four special women to be my bridesmaids but I could not have imagined that, instead of standing by me at the altar in December, they actually surrounded me like a protective circle and stayed there. I mean, I knew I'd made the right choice by choosing them, but they completely overwhelmed me with their support and love, providing me with four sturdy strong rocks upon which I leaned. I look forward to (hopefully) one day having them stand by me as I get married, but mostly I hope that I can be as amazing a friend to them as they are to me.

-- Of course I have to recognize the people in my life who encouraged and supported me with phone calls, coffee/lunch dates, glasses of merlot, and beautiful words. Including my relatives who had not one, but two wedding showers planned for me. I am a lucky girl.

-- My parents are the smartest people in the world. They know everything and they know all about me. How do they do it!?!

-- Dogs take it personally when you cry in front of them. Charlie always runs over, tail between his legs, and nudges his head under my arm. It's as if to say, "stop being silly!". On that note, happiness really is a warm animal.

-- I think I deserve a Customer Appreciation Credit Card at Wendy's for regular consumption of their Baja Salad. Have you tried this?! Lettuce, tomato, two healthy scoops of guacamole, nacho chips, cheese, and a whole cup of chili to put in the salad. Too, too good. Eaten a lot over the past few months. Om nom nom.

So, as this summer draws to a close, I breathe a sigh of relief. A new start ahead. I am spending the weekend en francais a la Montreal avec mes cousins, and then hopefully finding employment soon....hopefully...