By: Talyn Terzian-Gilmour
What the heck happened?? Summer just vanished in the blink of an eye and we are now on the cusp of yet another school year and would somebody PLEASE MAKE TIME STOP?!!
It seemed like just last week when our household finally breathed a deep sigh of relief – school was out, no more waking up to the alarm, but rather, waking up to the sun and quite frankly, waking up when we felt like it. No homework, no soccer practice, no homework, no piano lessons, no homework, no homework, NO HOMEWORK!!!!
Don’t judge or be jealous but there were days during our summer holidays when I woke up and went to sleep not ever changing out of my pyjamas or setting foot outside of my house, much less cooking a meal, or communicating with anyone (including my children who were glued to their iPads and other electronic gadgets). There were even a few days there when I too was glued to my TV – ALL DAY LONG – having a third bowl of Special K mixed with Frosted Flakes (for flavour) because it’s fast and I don’t need to use a single appliance to make it, as I caught up on every last episode of Grey’s Anatomy – a favourite medical drama. The most strain I was under was when I would imagine myself as a fifth-year resident studying for my medical board exams, trying to determine my specialty (general surgery, plastics, cardio-thoracic or perhaps neurology), or which character most resembled me (I’m sad to say that I’ve come to the conclusion that while I wish I was like the leading actress, I may be more of a cross between the cold, heartless, robot-like character or the whiny, overly organized, annoying one).
I think Mr. Niceguy was starting to get a little worried about me so on one occasion (maybe more than one occasion…) when I could hear his car pulling into the driveway, I made sure to at least check in with the 12 year old and the 8 year old so we could get our stories straight about how “productive” we’d been all day…
I digress…our summer holiday has been, well, summery. While much happened and it wasn’t all “a walk in the park” – many of you know to what I’m alluding – I still wish it wasn’t over. If I had to use one word to describe my summer break it would be, “UNEXPECTED.”
This summer we took a break from the norm. While I typically over-program the kids with all kinds of exciting activities that they typically wouldn’t have an opportunity to experience, this summer we took a different approach to “growth”. We SLOOOOOOOOWED down…except when they played Fortnite – an insanely addictive game that every tween was playing this summer.
Yes, this summer proved to be, well, such a change of pace from the usual go-go-GO! The initial heat wave in July which now has everyone believing in global warming, transported me back to my childhood when the weather wasn’t the main feature in a day, but a predictable backdrop to life of sun, sun and more sun. There were many mornings when I’d just wake up at the crack of dawn, before anyone else in the house, and get in an hour’s long walk before the heat became unbearable, with only the birds for company. Then in August, our annual pilgrimage up to the lake was again a reminder of the vast beauty of nature. The stillness of the lake in the morning as the mist would rise above the water, the call of the loon, the majestic force of the rocks and boulders jutting out of the earth, and the sky sprinkled with so many stars that it makes you feel like you’re standing in the centre of a snowglobe.
Now, there is rain and no mist rising above the lake. The sound of the loon has been replaced by the sound of the speeding cars down the streets lined with tall buildings, and I don’t think I’ve seen more than a couple of stars in the city sky – though I’ve seen lots and lots of streetlights.
It’s back to reality. Back to work and back to school. Speaking of which…this September will be a big return to reality for me especially. After leaving my glossy, downtown skyscraper, all those years ago, I am finally going back to work…but that’s a subject for next time. Following much hard work and dedication, the 12-year-old is starting on a new adventure for Grade 7 – one that we hope will allow him to branch out and showcase his awesomeness to the world – while our littlest person, and newly discovered, triple threat singer-dancer-artiste, enters Grade 3!! And this recap wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Mr. Niceguy who’s still training, still achieving (a brown belt now!) and still promising to be there to wipe my tears as I kiss my boys and send them back to school.
I wish all the kiddos out there the very best as they embark on a new school year. I wish the parents great patience as they dive right back into the insanely torturous and unrelenting schedules. And I wish you, reader, moments of summer peppered throughout your autumn so that you can remember the warmth, those endless nights, and that slightly slower pace when things get, well, a little too normal.
