I've always had a place in my heart that hates the month of August.
August has never been anything but kind to me - far kinder than most other months. Main Man and I were married in August. Still, once August 1 presents itself, I get this gulp in my throat, this slouch to my shoulders, this leadenness of my spirit. It's the same aura I experience when a person I don't particularly care for or feel comfortable with walks into a room.
When August 1 presents itself on my calendar, it shouts at the top of its lungs, "Your holiday is now half over. What have you done with it?"
I would love to put duct tape over the mouth of August.
I should really love August. Main Man will be taking his holidays soon, and we will be able to do lots of enjoyable family things together. Instead of throwing myself with abandon into these activities, in the back of my mind I will be planning lessons for the fall, or, worse still, feeling guilty because I am not planning lessons.
I will also be brooding over the things I didn't do in July that I had intended to do. Closets will remain cluttered. Boxes of odds and sods will remain in the basement unexplored. Books I had hoped to read will remain closed and lonely.
Well, having now articulated all that bothers me about August, I am making a resolution not to fall into the same old trap.
You are my witnesses: I vow to enjoy August. I will not guilt. I will not brood. I will not mope.
I will revel in my family and in the sunshine. I will walk barefoot on the lawn. I will lie on a blanket on the beach and read. I will buy junk at the street fair. I will let ice cream drip on my chin. I will savour a delicious dinner out on our anniversary - with no guilt-induced thoughts of expense or calories.
There - I always feel better when I have a plan.
Welcome, August.
About Me
- Library Mama
- I am a mom, a wife, and a teacher-librarian. I have four boys at home: Main Man (44), #1 (14), #2 (11), and #3 (7). Although they keep me very busy, I also look after a library for an elementary student population of 500 (give or take). I love my family; I love my job.
13 comments:
August is better than that bitch called December.
Unless you Canadians love the winter.
I don't particularly like winter very much, Hippo, but I adore Christmas.
Don't you?
I also adore Christmas, but Christ was not born on December 25th!! It's a sham!
I know, I know, but Christmas makes December bearable! :-)
Softcore pornography makes December bearable.
Mentok would probably agree with you.
Not I. :-)
Wonderful, LM! You have a wedding anniversary coming up.
August is a bit of the glooms for me.
When in England, I have to wait till September starts before the new books are out in the shops and authors start their readings and book signing sessions again. Always impatient for this.
Now, I'm waiting for August to be over before returning to the UK.
But that last para sounds like you have plans to become a child again. Wonderful!
My birthday is in August so that makes it tolerable, however I start to long for fall weather around this time of year. Now go eat some ice cream! Revel, revel, revel! I'm a planner, too. ;)
Happy birthday, Jamie! I hope you have a wonderful month. :-)
despite two family birthdays in August I have to agree with you. It's too hot, there's too much I have to acknowledge I won't finish...and my semester starts before it's over! That jsut seems unfair.
Libby - Another thing I just remembered to add to August's list of faults is that I notice the days getting shorter, as well. I know they are getting shorter in July, but you don't really notice it until August.
July is much harder on me because I don't like the heat. August starts giving me a taste of my favorite season - fall. Too bad winter is my least favorite season.
Hi, Framed. Very nice to meet you.
My mother always liked fall the best. Personally, I think it was because fall was when all of us went back to school and she had a chance to relax a bit once again. :-)
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