August End

**Disclaimer** This post was intended for somewhere near the first post of the month, or at the end.  However, given how events in life run, here it is, in its entirety. Hmm. Whattaya know? I spelled "entirety" right on the first try...(I just hit spell check) ;-) :-p


So, as you may notice, I'm calling not just this post, but this month August End. Not because I'm desperately hoping it will end soon, or that it feels like the end of the world, and it's not really close to the end of the month.  But somewhere in the last week of July I realized July would soon be over, and so the next month would be August, and immediately following August was "end", put the two together and you get August End.  Where did that name come from?  There's this amazing song by Jon Schmidt titled "August End" (so conveniently located in his album, August End).  In between How to Train Your Dragon and other random songs, I've had it running through my Internal Music Player quite frequently, just because it happened to be floating around, so that, the end of July plus me...

Thus, welcome to August End.

What happens in the month of August End?  Quite a lot, actually.  The name also signifies more than a song that I like to listen to.  August is literally bringing an end to certain parts of my life.  Not a bad thing, but still an end.  I mean, the summer's over, school starts up again, which means ostalavista [spell check, anyone?] care-free cool June mornings, warm July nights and hot August End days.  Not just any school, but many of us are leaving for college.  Before it was like, "Oh, yeah, I'm gonna be a Senior, wow!!"  Now...I'm starting BYU in twoish short weeks, a University!!  I mean, haha, Me!?  In a University!?  When did this happen??  Just last week I was in third grade and starting long division, and now, here I am, having graduated from High School two and a half months ago.  Where has the time gone??  ...What have I done with it?  Hopefully I've used it well...

...And then I realize, or at least think deeper/more carefully...about what I've been learning this past year.  I mean, 13 years of public school education's gotten me pretty far- I can read and write pretty decently, I know the basic grammar structure of sentences and how to connect them.  I can do long division without a calculator (granted, with one it's easier and faster), I've grown past "practicing" the piano and now play for pleasure, basically whatever I want, too, which is nice... But I really think it's been in the past few months that I've actually begun to learn.

Learning, that is, to love and appreciate life.

+I've lived for some 18 odd years now.  In each of those years there were at least 365 days, and 365 corresponding nights.  Doesn't matter how "Brilliant" or how simple, each of those nights had a sunset.  It was near the end of May that I first began to really notice the sunsets, and how breathtakingly beautiful they are.  Now, three months and about 2,000 pictures later, I'm out there nearly every night, partaking of the beauty that comes with that time of day.  And though they will continue, when the weather turns I won't have as easy access to them.  But, as of now, I see the beauty of sunsets.

+So I thought I was doing pretty well, you know, appreciating my days more with the sunsets.  Then I was reminded of Stars.  Nights were added to my list of appreciations. 

+Then one day I looked at the clouds and their shapes and personalities.  In the middle of the day.  It's amazing!  Then I looked at some by the sun and was completely blown away and drawn in all at the same time.  There are "sunsets" in the middle of the day.  You have to get the clouds just right, not too thick, but the thinner, smaller ones by the sun are all different colors- blue, green, red, purple...AHHH!!!  You can sometimes see it just by looking, but that can hurt your eyes.  I suggest sunglasses- they clear things up and you can see more.

+You've probably heard the song, "Rain, rain, go away".  I used to have a certain amount of contempt toward wet weather (well....I haven't really learned to fully appreciate snow at the moment) but rain was depressing.  Then, one day in May I was driving home from a Hope Squad party thing, and it happened to be raining.  I rolled down my window...and let in the love of the sky.  It was even better, because the sun was shining, it was in the early evening, so the raindrops were outlined on their pathway down, and looking to the left there was a rainbow.  I loved that day.  :)  And I now roll down my window despite the weather. [Yes, I do physically roll down my window. :-p]  Yes, you do have the very good chance of getting wet.  What's it gonna hurt you, and what's life without enjoyment?  Rain, shine, hot, cold, day, night...the window is down.  Yes, sometimes I have the AC on slightly while the window is down, but remember, this is me. ;-)  I like to feel the real Wind as much as possible.  Before I'd hate getting my hair messed up, and things blown around...now I love the wind, feeling it whip and blow around/through me...just...Wind is a part of Nature, which was created by Someone who was perfect, so...doesn't that make nature perfect?  And so I want to be a part of it. :)  Moral of the story/ramble, I love weather and rolling down my window while driving. :)

+At my old house, we had roses.  Red, pink, peach, perhaps even white.  To be honest...I didn't really think they were all that pretty all the time.  Occasionally, but not a lot.  I started to open my eyes a little more before we left, but now, along with everything else, roses here seem even more beautiful.  We have some in our front yard that are white and tipped in pink/red.  They are a favorite.  In the back are red, white, yellow/orange and fuchsia roses.  Favorites are in that order. :)  They are just completely gorgeous.  Yes, I even love the thorns.  I will pinch them off, but they're still part of the rose, and so I like them.

+And you know, suddenly I even enjoy weeding.  Weird, even for me.  Or maybe it's just a fascination/irritation that there's persistent Morning Glory climbing the bushes along our walkway.  But if I'm feeling frustrated, or just need a break from things, sometimes I'll just go out and pull the weeds from our flower garden.  It's productive, some, at least.  Hey, I even watched a slug scrinch around on my fingers because it was fascinating.  [I'm not sure how productive that was....but hey, it's still summer. ;-)]

+Sunshine.  :) I can't make a list of gratitude's without Sunshine.  Light (visual and physical), love, freedom, enjoyment, clarity, Christ, friendship, and more.  Even at three in the morning, I can find Sunshine. :)

+Josie was sharing a story with me and mentioned "Perfection in Nature".  Saying how, untouched or disturbed, nature is perfect, and can create beauty far greater than at the hands of man sometimes.  How life and the order of events is specifically and carefully determined.  Nothing, nothing, happens when it does, to whom it does, how it does without reason.  Think about how you met someone.  You can go back literally years and see how events played into the single moment of bumping into them at school, or walking down the street, or being introduced, and upon further examination, you can see even more how life is influenced by a Higher and Greater Being.  Even as I'm at the store, and wait and allow someone to pass by with their cart, and a smile is exchanged along with a kind word, I'm seeing the Perfection in Nature.  It's great. :)

There's more...billions more...but for now, this is some of what I've learned about life.  That, and the fact that it goes on, no matter what.  You can't stop it, you can't reverse it; the only way you can go is forward.  So...let's make it good, yeah?  You can either be pulled along by a foot, bouncing in the road and becoming more miserable by the minute, or you can be there in the front, laughing and bringing others along and making the whole trip easier.  Try to see the Perfection in nature around us, and the good in others rather than shaking your head that you just got cut off again on the road.  You never know who's life they may be racing off to save.  What if it were your own?

All in all, August End, though it is bringing an end to summer, and many other things, is really a portal or jump/spring or check point for another part of this amazing race called LIFE! [Living Is Fun/Free. Enjoy!]  And though, yes, I am intimidated by college and all the prospects of said endeavor...it'll be fun, I'll love it, and learn.  I sure better learn, anyhow... ;)  And, I suppose the fact that I don't want summer or a year to end says that it's been a good one, and that life, though sometimes hard, is good. 

August End, you're teaching me more than I ever before comprehended...thank you.

Life is good.  I promise.  Just look around you, you'll find something.  If you need help finding something, you know where I'm at. :D

Much love to all,

Love, Me.