transitions

I love summer.  I've always loved summer and have never understood those people who say that they look forward to the crisp days of fall.  Fall is such a transition time and transitioning to winter is depressing to me so the approach of fall is always a disappointment. I've noticed the days getting shorter, hearing the children playing outside in the twilight because it is now dark before bedtime.  I've watched the calendar creep slowly to September. School started today and in a couple of weeks we may even need a sweater on cool nights.  It happens quickly here.  Just as we plunge directly into summer, we sink profoundly into fall and start our slow descent into winter.

My father is also transitioning to needing more attention.  His failing sight means he can't do many of the things that he enjoyed, Although he can see around his house, and most of the TV,  he no longer can do things that require close work, especially using the internet to watch his stock portfolio, read stupid jokes, and keep in touch with friends through email.  I now spend a few hours each day doing these things for him and I think he hopes I'll eventually learn how the stock market works if only we go over the P/E, the EPS, and Yield one more time.  He's been trying to teach me for years and refuses to admit that it just makes absolutely no sense to me.  He truly fears the transition of his stock portfolio to me as much as I do.  But a bigger transition is his transition to OLD.  At 91, he still remains amazingly healthy except for his sight issues but that loss is truly a descent to being needy.

And the transition of K and G to their new life in Ann Arbor.  The movers arrived today.  We went to Baltimore yesterday to dismantle the bed frame so it could get down the narrow staircase of their row house.  They were madly packing random stuff into random boxes and not labeling anything.  The mother in me wanted to give directions on why knowing what was kitchen stuff, versus bedroom stuff, versus basement stuff might be useful but then I just shut my mouth and said "Why don't we take a break and dad and I will take you out to dinner."  We all enjoyed dinner.  They are still transitioning into adults and I've got to let them do that on their own.

And I need to transition to some new activities and interests.  I've gotten lazy this summer and need to establish a new schedule which includes more than laundry, cleaning, and my father.