I know. It’s a little early, but in my world school bells signal the end of long, lazy days much more effectively than crossing off a calendar box in late September ever will. Autumn deserves a little fanfare. Here in Texas the chimes are pealing out their message: parents, teachers, students take heed, time to reset your internal clocks from languid to brisk. Fall is sweeping in.

I scheduled some girl time with my daughters recently so we could catch up a bit before college takes over their lives. We went for a pedicure, and not one of us chose a ‘summer color’. My oldest, Clarissa, specifically said she was done with this summer. It’s understandable. She’s going in to her last semester of nursing school and is very anxious to reach a long-held goal. As a newlywed, I’m sure it feels like getting through school also takes her a step closer to settling more fully into her new life.

Savannah has also flown the nest again. She’ll be a sophomore this year and she’s going to give dorm life a try. Her roommates have a tough act to follow, since the sisters shared an apartment all of last year, but they are sweet girls and I hope my little chickadee likes campus life.

Even though tradition says fall is the beginning of the end for the year at hand, I’ve never felt that way. My long association (truly from birth) with the academic world makes me see it as a time of renewal that rivals all the revelry in January. New clothes, new school supplies, new teachers, new friends, new schools, new subjects…why shouldn’t we celebrate opportunity now instead of waiting until the cold, gray winter settles over us.

No sad farewells here. This summer has been great – a wedding, lots of rest and relaxation, time with friends and family – but another one will come along soon enough. Right now I’m ready for cool days and colored leaves and I have things to do. Hello fall!