Requiem

As of this moment, I have about one hour left with my beloved. My beloved will be leaving me again as it happens every year.

I am a summer person. I may be the only non-child who loves summer. Every other adult just complains that summer is too hot.

Spring and Fall are too fickle. They can be hot, or cold. In the same day. I dress in long pants and turtleneck because there is frost in the air in the morning but by afternoon, I am melting because it is pushing 90.

Winter is cold and dark. My bones ache from the cold and my messed up internal thermostat causes me to shiver uncontrollably at the slightest hint of chill. The sun doesn't shine upon me for weeks on end. Winter brings tule fog and regular fog and you don't see the end of the street for 3 weeks straight. And it rains in the winter. For you non-Californians... we don't have a lick of rain in the summer. It stops raining in March or April and does start again until November, maybe late October, often not until December. Nary a drop. No umbrellas. No rain coats. And when it rains, it is cold. We don't do "warm summer rain". We only do cold winter rain.

Summer is sunny. Sure...it's hot. But my car, my house and every building I go to has air conditioning. Except for church. But that's going in right now...just in time for winter. But next summer...it too will be cool. It is not uncommon to keep a sweater in the car in the summer because the air INSIDE is so cool. In summer it stays light until 9pm or so. Kids can play outside until the street lights come on. Even tho' that's after 9pm, it's ok, because school is out. No homework. No projects. The best gatherings with friends are in the summer... outside, around the pool. The smell of meat on the BBQ is in the air every night. Summer is slower. Summer is relaxed. Summer is napping in the afternoon and still feeling like you have half a day left.

Goodbye my beloved summer. I will miss you. I look forward to seeing you next June....