For my family, the beginning of school always signifies fullness. Our home swells with bags from our back-to-school shopping and we set up organizational systems for the many papers and projects that will begin flowing through our door. Supply lists and syllabuses stack on surfaces, signifying the abundance of new opportunities and memories to be made.
But for me back to school also signifies an emptying. I was thinking of this as I cleaned out my car from our most recent excursion to the river. I plucked snack wrappers from the trunk, left there after we devoured granola bars I brought for a day spent in the sun. I foraged for empty Pop Tart wrappers that made their way under the seat after my kids scarfed their breakfasts on the way to camp. Discarded water bottles, ball caps, and sunscreen spray cans collected on the floorboard like the dregs of a satisfying meal.
These are the remains of a summer well lived.
A handheld vacuum ridded my car of the beach sand that filled every available crevice. I shook out and folded up the blankets we swaddled ourselves in when the sun dipped below the mountains and the temperature dropped 10 degrees. I will return the dozens of river rocks my daughter collected this summer to their rightful place in the Bitterroot River rather than let them clutter every countertop in my home.
I found that my car and home could be purged, but nothing will sweep away the memories we made. This is the summer my 10-year-old son discovered a love of flying. He even got to go up in the air with a pilot through the Young Eagles program at Missoula International Airport. This summer my daughter turned 8 and found she loves acting. This summer we visited the San Juan Islands for my husband’s 40th birthday.
Am I ready to say goodbye to summer and the days that stretch almost endlessly? Maybe. I’m looking forward to a crisp fall breeze, but I’ll miss our habit of finding some water to be near when the late afternoon heat makes our house unbearable. Yes, I’m looking forward to using my oven to bake again, but I’ll miss sandwiches hastily eaten on our way to a new hiking trail. Okay, I admit I’m ready to not have to slather my kids with sunscreen every time they step outside, but I also appreciate that we can stretch out our bath days with so many trips to the lake or river. As long as they’re in water, right?
This school year, we’re starting with fullness. Full backpacks, full hearts, and a full bank of lovely memories from summer 2022.Tiff