And so goes August

The last day of August is tomorrow. Have you ever noticed that August is the most uneventful month of the year? It has no holiday in it, or any significant recognition. Yet all other months have attachments: September- Labor Day; October- Halloween; November- Thanksgiving; December- Christmas; January- New Year's Day; February- Valentine's Day. Even March and April usually host Easter. May comes with Mother's Day and Memorial Day Weekend, June with Father's Day, and July - 4th of July.
People keep trying to stick August with holidays - like Friendship Day. But clearly, nobody wants another holiday having to complicate life. August is just August- a month to stretch, or do nothing, if desired. Also, it's a month to brace ourselves for the beginning of fall, which very much resembles a new year, seeing that school starts over again and so does a much more crowded schedulue.
Thank goodness for months like August. We definitely need a break from so much to do.

On Family Reunions...

This weekend we spent a day with my husband's extended family. Several generations were represented by the 200+ crowd at the Rialto Teamster's Park. One thread that ran constant with those gathered was their loyalty and passion they had for their family. Seeing the memory tree holding pictures of all that have passed away was one such example. Even though this family has become part of my life through my husband, I really feel that they are my family, too. Seeing family staying together these days is a rarity, and it's refreshing to see that people still stick together through rough and unpredictable times. I'm looking forward to another reunion in September. This time, it's my father's side of the family. It will be smaller in number, but never the less a great time to be had by all who come. Some of my cousins that I haven't seen in five years will be there. There will be lots of reminiscing and catching up to do-- really looking forward to it!

Remembering Debbie

I received sad news yesterday that my dear friend Debbie passed away. I hadn't spoken to Debbie for a while, and when I heard the news, it was this knowledge that made me feel even sadder.

Debbie was a tremendous person. She had a great heart and compassion for others, especially kids. Debbie, a middle school principal, was incredible. I witnessed countless times that she took the rough and misdirected kids under her wing, gently counseled them, and they respected her because they knew she genuinely cared about each one of them.

Debbie was funny. She saw humor in life, and didn't take herself seriously. We, who worked alongside of her always knew we could count on her striking smile, and warm laughter that made some of the most stressful days pleasant. As her secretary, I admired Debbie's fair tactics with her staff. She didn't bend easy for the loudest 'squeaking wheel', but rather ruffled a few feathers of the prima donas to offer equal time/resources to the rest of the staff, who perhaps weren't so vocal or demanding, but also had need of support for their classrooms and departments. Debbie stuck to her guns, and that may have cost her.

Never the less, Debbie lived out her life with integrity, grace, and unconditional love for others. There won't be another Debbie, I'm sure of that. I'm thankful for knowing this great lady, and know that her values rubbed off on me.