In The Middle

The girls and I strolled down the edge of the street and entered the park. It had been a week since we have had the opportunity to visit it and it was amazing to see the change that had taken place. Just weeks ago, I could find parents with their children climbing on the playground equipment and people playing tennis or basketball on the courts. Summer had been in full swing and it was obvious by the activity and the sweltering temperatures.

But today was different. The air was much cooler and the park was barren. No one was in sight with the exception of a few grounds workers way off in the distance. There were no children there to contend with on the baby swings and I couldn't hear the sound of a basketball hitting the pavement. Even though the calendar says differently, summer has officially ended. All of the kids are back in school and those lazy days of summer have been replaced with school buses and crisp mornings.

Fall is absolutely my favorite season of the year. I love the coolness of the air and the beautifully colored leaves of the Midwest. It is the most comfortable weather and what follows is an exciting time of harvest, Thanksgiving and then Christmas. I know that good times lay ahead, but there is a part of me that starts to get sad. And it is right at this time.

Walking through the desserted park made me realize that transition time was upon us. The fun times of summer were fading away and would be distant memories. Even though the future held promises of more good times, we aren't quite there yet. I remember it being that way when I was in school. I knew that the school year would bring fun things, but the change from summer to fall was so hard on me.

Life is like that, too. My life is getting ready to change again. Today, we are officially moving into our new home and things will be different. The special times of living with my Mom and near my family with my two little babies is coming to a close and soon my husband, my girls, the dogs and I will live in our new home. I am very excited about having our own place and raising our girls where we are moving to, there is no doubt about that. I know we are embarking on more happy memories and special times. But like my school days, this part, the transition period, is so hard on me.

I don't mind change so much (we have moved 11 times over the past 8 years), but the time between the change is so hard. There is packing, moving, change of environment, change of routine, new activities, new people and I am praying that the girls will adjust quickly because that will add a whole new eliment to the process. I know that we all will eventually adjust and "our new life" will just become "our life."

But like the park, I feel desserted and barren. I am wrapping up old memories and placing them in boxes. My memories of what the girls looked like three months ago is quite foggy already. I imagine what they will look like by Christmas, but that still seems so far away. There is so much to do in order to get back to normal. Waiting for Fall...