August is half over, and I find myself wondering—what’s the rush?
When I was a child, summer vacation seemed endless. We still had plenty of time to run barefoot in the grass and chase fireflies before school started - always after Labor Day. The warm days stretched lazily before us, and we soaked up every bit of sun and freedom.
Now, I watch our grandchildren heading back to school in mid-August and can’t help wondering, what’s the rush? The days are still long, the evenings warm, and the flowers finally at their peak. There’s still so much left to squeeze out of summer. August has always felt like a deep breath to me—no holidays to prepare for, just slow afternoons on the back deck with an iced tea and a good book or to simply watch the day go by and linger in the moment.
Yesterday was a perfect reminder of why it’s worth slowing down. I spent the afternoon with one of my granddaughters keeping a birthday tradition we’ve had for years—a visit to her favorite tea room for afternoon tea, just the two of us. It started when she was three and curious about the tea I was drinking. I brought out the little china tea set I’d used as a girl, poured her a cup, and she was hooked.
In July she turned eleven. We dressed up—she looked absolutely lovely—and went to a local tea room. We shared our tea choices, hers a strawberry-blend tea, and mine a blue raspberry. We delighted in the cinnamon-apple scones with Devonshire cream. We sat like ladies, elbows off the table, napkins in our laps, and talked about our summer and her excitement for the school year ahead.
Later, back at my house, we played Chinese Checkers and Bingo. We looked through photos of our past teas and marveled at how she has grow from a little girl carefully holding a toy teacup to the poised young lady with sparkling eyes and dreams she is now.
That quiet afternoon was a gift. The tea was wonderful, but what mattered most was the time together, unhurried and uninterrupted.
Life doesn’t have to be lived in fast-forward. These small, unhurried moments with the people we love are what stay with us. August is still here, full of long evenings and soft sunsets. Let’s take a breath, sit still for a while, make room for the people we love, and enjoy what’s left of summer. Let August be what it is meant to be—a time to rest, reflect, and savor what’s right in front of you.
