Try to Remember the Kind of September...

I've lost the desire to be in the sun for long periods of time and the winters in Northeastern Pennsylvania were brutal. Flowers blooming and lawns greening with the spring rains are wonderful sights, but it's always been the crisp autumn air that put joy in my step.

Autumn has been my favorite season for as long as I can remember.

In September, I loved going back to school. It was more than the new shoes and a bookbag stuffed with tablets and number two pencils; it was more than a different homeroom with a new teacher. Sure, I enjoyed learning but there was something about reconnecting with classmates after the three-month separation.

In grade school, my summers were spent with the friends in my neighborhood and as I progressed from elementary school to high school, friends from nearby towns kept me busy. Once school was in session, it was always a treat to see classmates who lived further away.

Last week, the children in my neighborhood returned to their classrooms. The week before Labor Day, I asked one ten-year-old if she was looking forward to school. She twirled around excitedly and chirped, "Yes! I'll be with my friends."

I won't tell her that as the years pass she will lose track of those childhood friends. I won't tell her that eventually, we go our separate ways. I'll allow her to enjoy her September to reconnect with friends because grownups allowed me that pleasure when I was a child.

I attended the same school district from Kindergarten through twelfth grade. I doubt I'd recognize most of my classmates but I remember their names. I'll occasionally search Facebook for those names and every once in a while I will locate someone. We'll do a message exchange, most times, but eventually, communication drops off. The evidence of too many years and too many miles between us. I'm thankful for those who have chosen to keep in touch.

COVID-19 halted our 50th High School reunion in 2021 and 2022. Maybe there will be a 55th reunion for 2026--but today that seems so, so far away.

Till then, I'll remember the many wonderful Septembers of past years.

40th Lakeland High School Reunion - 2011 - Windsor Inn

I'm seated, wearing a light blue shirt.