20 years ago I was starting my first teaching job. That feels so weird. I remember my first job vividly. The teaching part doesn’t feel 20 years ago. I still remember those kids and my class room and so many of the firsts that went with that year.
What does feel long ago are most of the other details. The one bedroom apartment. The long term boyfriend at had at that point. The truck I still drove. Those things feel like forever ago.
My dad said at lunch today (I work with my whole family) that there was a Silver Alert out for my grandmother yesterday. I wonder if they do Silver Alerts across the country? It’s like and Amber alert for the elderly. An alert that an older person is missing. That was my grandmother yesterday. My dad didn’t know until it was over. She decided to drive to Walmart. She got confused and lost. A chain of family members were called and one of my uncles talked to her. He told her to stay where she was he was coming for her. When he got there she wasn’t there. They finally found her back at home. My dad’s oldest brother called him and offered to be the son who took her keys away.
All of that feels so sad and scary. I worry if my future will involve me taking away keys. And one day will one of my sons have to take away mine?
My dad and brother are coming tomorrow morning to take the big desk away. The drawers are empty. The top is still full of things and there is no clear path to the door. I walked in there to get it ready and then walked back out. I don’t feel motivated. I feel tired. I suppose that means I need to get up early on a Saturday morning to get everything ready for them.
Nathan works tomorrow. A volleyball tournament. The transition back to fall sports has finished. He will work every Saturday until Thanksgiving weekend now. He might have one off on their by week….maybe. And he will only have Thanksgiving weekend off if they don’t make it to third round (or maybe second round) of the playoffs. We are ready and not ready all at the same time.
A post showed up in my timehop app today. It was a caption to a post on Instagram I think. It in I mentioned the changing of the light and how it was already noticeably different in the evening. Maybe that is what made me notice it tonight too as we swam after dinner. By 8:30pm the outside lights were already starting to flicker on and the sky was tinged pink and orange as the sun had already set below the horizon. By the end of the month it will be almost dark by 8:30pm. I only know because we usually have the boys’ birthday party at the end of August and it is usually a big party at my parent’s house with a huge water slide. We aren’t doing that this year. I am a little sad but mostly glad to not have to do that this year. Still, the light is changing. I like noticing the light and the slow shift of seasons. It will be hot here for months yet, but the light still changes. I like the rhythm of the changing light.
More Than Expected 