A September Day

Here comes September!!!! Wow! Where did the summer go? What did I accomplish this summer of 2009? Well, for one thing I got a power chair and a lift for my van. Now I have more freedom to get around. I continued working on my personal life story. I finished editing the anthology that I plan to publish shortly with Masthof. We traveled to Pittsfield, MA to visit my sister. It was great to see her again. Mary and I are plan to attend the bienneial National Older Adults Conference held at Lake Junaluska, NC during the second week in September. That should be a lot of fun. I think we are now fully acclimated at our new digs at Brethren Village. We are enjoying the atmosphere here and the security that we feel, knowing that we will have immediate help if needed.

Many of our children and grandchildren will be returning to school this coming week. I remember the excitement of school opening, both as a student, and most of my life as a teacher. I remember those dreams where I suddenly realized the semester was over and I never even gave a test. How was I to grade my students? Then I would wake up in a cold sweat. Another recurring dream was that I found my schedule at the end of the year and there was a class I never taught. What ever happened to those kids? More cold sweat. Now that I have been retired for 17 years, I don't get those "teacher" nightmares anymore. Now I dream that I forgot where I was going and when I remember where I was going, I forget how to get there.

The poets and songwriters use the symbolism of September to signify the entry into later life. I have always loved the lines from the September Song: "Oh it's a long, long time from May to December; But the days grow short when you reach September." What a beautiful metaphor! After a long, hot summer we relish the cool and refreshing days of September. Similarly after a life of toil and sweat, we come to appreciate the slower and more refreshing days of retirement.

I guess that for all of us, September represents a period of change in our lives. For the young and middle-aged it is a time of increased activity. For those of us who are older it is a time of slow-down and relaxation. It is also a time of melancholy when we all mourn the passing of life, as the earth again prepares to go to sleep for the winter. With that mourning lies a hope of new life to come in the spring. Even those of us who are of the older generation recognize the hope that is symbolized by the eternal resurrection of God's good earth. We are all part of that grand scheme of things known as the cycle of life. Our souls pulse with the knowledge that life goes on and that our Creator is still in charge.