Dear Summer, I Love You but I'm Ready for Fall -

Dear Summer,

When I was a teenager the one thing I could do better than my friends was tan. I remember spraying down with iodine mixed with baby oil. I squirted Sun-In on my hair and later, in college, some kind of suntan oil that smelled like coconuts (it was sort of sticky and sweat bees stuck to it).

Now that I am older and wiser I realize how stupid I was. My parents tried to tell me about the risk of skin cancer and wrinkles but back then the part of my brain that should have registered “danger” was turned off. Now that that switch has flipped back to “on” I avoid getting direct sun during the heat of the day and I’m making an appointment with a dermatologist to make sure all the spots and moles all over me are just age spots…not the “c” word.

Back in the day there was no day so hot that I wanted to stay inside. I loved going to the lake, the pool or just laying out in my backyard. Not anymore. My love affair with summer has finally come to an end. What was once my favorite season has taken a back seat to spring and fall.

With Labor Day right around the corner the early morning already has just a hint of cooler temps. Today I noticed a few leaves that have turned red. School has started and yellow school buses are on the roads with their precious cargo. The grandchildren’s bathing suits and floats are ready for storage and their warmer clothes will soon need to be located.

I love ya summer but it’s time for you to go. I’m ready for fall. Cooler weather, colored trees, pumpkins, sweaters, and hot apple cider.