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Autumn On The Way

         It's almost Labor Day. Summer is drawing to an end. It's still hot. Tomatoes are still growing. Squash and beans are done. The weeds are coming in faster than we can pull them. But the leaves are starting to fall. Not the ones that change color, just the dead brown leaves. School is back in session, and the autumn and Halloween decorations are out in stores. I've even seen some Thanksgiving decor advertised.

         This is when the year seems to take off at a galloping speed. Soon it will be NaNoWriMo. There's a new baby in our family now, almost 24 hours old. My 401K is dwindling before my eyes. There's no way to rebuild it before I'll need it. I'm back at work, at least part-time. I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to do while I was off. A few closets are neater. Good Will has had a lot of donations, and the house is reasonably clean. The great American novel has not rolled off my computer, however. I still haven't read American Sniper. And I still haven't lost that ten pounds.

         Life keeps running ahead of us, season after season. This particular seasonal change is always a little wistful, a little nostalgic for me. The days get shorter, the shadows in the afternoon get a little longer. I can't help but recall summer jobs winding down before going back to college. I would regret then that summer was almost over. Now I just regret that the summer of youth is over. I'm reminded of the English professor who pointed out that even though the seasons indicate the active, productive times, the fullness of summer, may be ending, the greatest beauty still lies ahead.