Summertime arrives with a feeling of freedom each year. I can remember this feeling from when I was a child and still feel it as an adult. But there was always this feeling of nostalgia too and an unexplained feeling of sadness. I remember always crying to my own mama at the end of each school year. Saying goodbye to a year of memories, a year of milestones, a year spent with a special teacher. It was always so hard for me.
Last night, I was putting y'all to bed when that same lump came in my throat and the tears came out of nowhere. In that moment, I realized in such a real way, that as we say hello to another summer, we say goodbye to another year of memories and milestones. The years seem to keep forging together into one long memory. No matter how hard we try, time doesn't stand still. It was a reminder I needed at the end of a long day. A reminder that yes, the days can be long at times, but the years seem to pass in the blink of an eye. So in the midst of it all, even on the hard days, I want to linger, just a little bit longer.