The Last Few Chapters…

Lemonade Recipe

Sugar and Water: boil them to create simple syrup

Lemon Juice: 9 fresh, juicy lemons. Cut and squeeze— be careful of the pits…

Ice: not too much or else the flavor will be off

Stir and pour:

—     oh and drink and enjoy!

Prep:

—    10 mins 

Cook:

—    5 mins 

Total:

—    15 mins 

Servings:

—    10 

Yield:

—    10 8-ounce servings

 ———————————————————————-

When I wake up tomorrow morning I will be on the last few chapters of my summer story.

August 1st

Supposedly there isn’t one recipe to make lemonade. But I’m not much of a cook in my chefs kitchen. I’m basically known for my Michelin-rated grilled cheese and al dente boxed butter noodles, but ever since 2020 I have been trying to make the perfect mixture of the sweet and sour. However, I learned the hard way this summer everyone takes their bittersweetness in unequal parts, but in the end what we sip tastes the same based upon our taste buds.

2022 wasn’t 2020, too— or 20 2.0 it was just another year on a different path. But is it a “new” path we are looking for if we want to go to the same place?

Or is it the detour we are secretly seeking that leads us to where we are meant to be...

Sometimes there are things in our way or worse ourselves… but if we want to change something we have to change something.

And then sometimes the change we make happens to us.

That becomes our own personal batch of lemonade.

A few chapters left in my page turner this summer was met with a handful of I definitely saw it coming moments and some unexpected plot twists and turns.

Tonight I lay awake trying to not rush the end because it will come even if I’m not ready for it but, I’m met with the reminder of it all. That and the sleeplessness that comes from this season’s sting of mosquito bites tingling in my legs and the anticipation of how it will actually reach its conclusion.

Will it be the lesson that is left long after the heat is gone or will it lend itself into next seasons story left to write…

August 3rd

It’s Wednesday now and for some people it’s their hump day. The mid day of the week that the feel half way between last week and this coming weekend is it’s almost coming . Ever since I became a mommy; I don’t have hump days anymore. Days regardless of their beginnings or ends were and are dedicated to someone else.

A lot of someones else’s.

I have been using my Wednesday for inspiration and wisdom.

A moment of reflection or clarity when everything around me seems frustrating or unknown to help me cut through the bullshit and find the bliss or at least take a sip of my iced coffee because my lemonade recipe isn’t quite ready yet.

Today I found another lucky penny on the lucky side. It was oxidized and been around a long time, but I looked at it like it was filled with karma— the good kind.

Then my phone rang.

My final call from my older son before his sleep away camp adventure culminates. His voice sounded so good. In all the ways we want our children to sound.

We chatted for 15 minutes.

 It was the best 15 minutes I shared with him alone in a long time. We talked about a handful of things sleep away camp related and on the cusp of color war our wonderings of how it would finally break out after a handful of fake outs. He was so excited and it was contagious— the good kind. It reminded me of why— that as hard it is to send our children away for 7 weeks and the missing them is something I don’t really, fully get used to, the distance and the growth are good for the heart and soul— for both of us. The fresh air, the sweat, the friendships, sports, life skills, ups and downs, and the independence are amazing— for both of us.

Little did I know then what I know now that the only time the Jetson era that they predicted would yet again take a backseat in the 1981 Delorean DMC-12 or the electrically charged metal machines we currently live through and brings me back to another time of my youth, the quintessential 80s of my innocence, and the opening lyrics of “Walking on Sunshine”— I think it goes like this…

I used to think maybe you loved me now baby I'm sure
And I just can't wait till the day when you knock on my door
Now everytime I go for the mailbox, gotta hold myself down
'Cause I just can't wait till you write me you're coming around

I'm walking on sunshine, wooah
I'm walking on sunshine, woooah
I'm walking on sunshine, woooah
And don't it feel good!

Hey, alright now
And dont it feel good!
Hey yeah

I used to think maybe you loved me, now I know that it's true
And I don't want to spend my whole life, just waiting for you
Now I don't want u back for the weekend
Not back for a day, no no no
I said baby I just want you back and I want you to stay

Woah yeah!
I'm walking on sunshine, wooah
I'm walking on sunshine, woooah
I'm walking on sunshine, woooah
And don't it feel good!!)

I know she is singing of a boy she loves in the other way you love a boy, but I know all different ways to love my boys. So the lyrics speak to me in all different ways.

August 5th

Ironically and wildly that song came on the radio as I pulled into my driveway and decided to give a peek and see what was delivered by a snail and it was exhilarating when a letter addressed to my little one from his big brother (the second one of the summer) filled me with pure euphoria.

How incredibly special. I felt so proud and so excited the final letter of the best summer would be between brothers. One of best boys mommy milestones of my summer…

There in his best handwriting, he remembered what I told him about his little brother’s achievements at day camp this summer and wrote to him of his pride in him. My eyes and my heart are so swollen— the good kind.

If I was giving out awards for summer accomplishments; I would say we all got at least one this season and the best part— they are all for very different reasons.

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is where the X marks the spot for the treasure.

A few love lines that fill-in my fine lines. There’s that lucky penny doing karmas work again, and if I could bottle that feeling and drink it all year long — I would…

This summer story is so close to finishing up, and I can’t wait to get to the end. How will it end? — maybe there will be an epilogue (the best stories have them) but I’m going to savor this tale a little longer…

TBC…