The Third Cup

Ah, September at last!

Hi neighbors. The end of summer is here. Are you ready for the last big fling? Although autumn doesn't officially start until later this month, many of us seem to give up the thoughts of summer right after Labor Day.

Already stores have fall flower arrangements for sale and little scarecrows to hang on the doors. These hints of Halloween and (good grief!) even Thanksgiving have appeared way too soon.

It seems we can't wait, we just can't wait for whatever is coming next. We don't have time to enjoy what is here now. I think a lot of this is marketing brainwashing.

Whatever the current season is, we had better start buying up things for the next season. By the time the next season actually gets here, things related to that season will be off the shelves.

Maybe we should just stop buying ahead of time. Maybe September is too soon to buy Halloween pumpkins, Thanksgiving decorations and Christmas lights. Wouldn't we be just as happy enjoying the still green leaves and grass before we start loading the car down with salt and cat litter and haul the leaf and snow blowers out of the garage? Just because they put it on the shelves, we don't have to buy it. Not yet. Not today.

Today there is still good weather for fishing or golf or a quick baseball game in the empty lot.

Tomorrow it will still be nice enough for outdoor grilling and a walk through the prairie or a hike through one of the state parks.

Even by next weekend we can get the boat out on the lake, hit the yard sales, or take a leisurely walk around the square in the evening.

If you haven't had time or inclination to get out and enjoy nature for whatever reason this summer, now is your best chance to see it in all it's glory.

This month you can see summer fade slowly into fall. Don't hesitate to enjoy both seasons for all they are worth. Summer isn't over! The best of it may be just beginning. Cooler days means better walking weather. Crisper nights means fewer mosquitoes. Let's just not rush into the "fall" mindset yet. There are still tomatoes on the vines, flowers still budding! There will be plenty of time for fall when it actually gets here.

September is a busy month for everyone. School is moving into high gear, lots of school related activities after hours. There are lots of health related activities recognized this month. Businesses look ahead to the last quarter of the year.

In many ways September is kind of a summing up month. It's like we use this pause in the seasons to re-assess our health, our successes, our goals remaining to be reached.

I think of September as the time just before digging in on a big job. We're just standing there looking around seeing what's already done, what's left to do, and wondering what's the best way to tackle it.

Maybe that's how you think of September too. Since 1950, September has been delegated as the worst month for the stock market. Guess too many other people are taking stock of their situations.

No wonder September is a month of indecision and second thoughts. Unlike many other months, September was not named after a Roman god. It was named after a number. September started out being the seventh month of the old Roman calendar, named after the Roman word 'septem' for seven. It became the ninth month when they moved the beginning of the year to January first from March first. So now even its lowly number instead of a name doesn't fit.

September is truly a month of dual seasons, often two very conflicting and different seasons. But both are seasons to be enjoyed. Just because September is confused doesn't mean we have to be.

Even if there are things for sale that speak of deeper into the autumn season or even hint at the beginning of winter; we don't have to buy them yet. We can still sit on the porch and smell the flowers. There will be leaves to rake later, but not yet. Things may be speeding up at the schools, but we don't have to pack up all the summer clothes yet.

Although we shouldn't be grasshoppers blindly ignoring the obvious; we need to realize that sometimes done is done. Being done with one thing doesn't mean starting something new has to be immediate.

Until the next time friends remember; between the finishing up of summer and the battening down for winter, let's not forget to enjoy the days of September as they come.