08/27/2026
The last weeks of August have are veiled with a lite dusting of melancholy for many. The impending end of summer is always slightly heavier with the higher temps and fewer minutes of daylight, a slow catalyst for change. And though we distract ourselves with the excitement of firsts that accelerate each day, we also mourn the vibrancy of unscheduled days as we try to shield ourselves from the anxiety of alarm clocks, backpacks, carpools and weeks that are riddled with indistinction. We cannot turn our back on this transition because it is a necessary tool in tightening our grip on the beautiful memories we made in the preceding months. This week in particular has been highlighted by loss, and it hits deeper for all the reasons listed above. I always say you cannot fully embrace joy without pain; you cannot fully appreciate happiness without sorrow. As a child, the world glistened completely unaware of the shift. Summer is therefore embedded deep in my soul.
The glistening chrome on the heavy car doors, the smell of Coppertone and Agree shampoo with a dose of chlorine are smells I can conjure in my dreams. The short paced walk on hot sidewalks with only the sound of flip flops on the pavement in contrast to the cool wet towel over my shoulders can transport me to a simpler time when my mind was just as balanced and even paced. I can only pray kids today are still worrying about the count of their green apple and grape double bubble bubble gum in a small, wrinkled paper bag, completely unaware that the stash of flav-r-ice pops will soon become obsolete.
And this is how I know my love of color began with summer. Flav-r-ice, the translucent tubes of colored sugar water that when frozen transform into opaque wands of malice are the definition of the vibrancy that is summer. As previously posted, this summer my daughter and I joined forces to renovate her neglected apartment. Sharing some behind the scenes as we turn the corner and realizing how happy I am that we share the love of color. Closing out this project in tandem with summer is bittersweet. But I am delighting in the details and comforted that she will dwell in a space that feels as safe as summer.
