JOURNAL: September 5, 2006

This past weekend I flew to St. Louis for one short, final, restful summer vacation. It turned out to be a wonderful holiday, full of the kind of relaxation that one associates with summertime. I felt totally calm and at peace throughout the weekend, even though I was kept quite busy with family gatherings. The visit was full of activity, but each one seemed to be utterly tranquil and quiet. It was just the kind of family break I needed right before the beginning of the new school year. I enjoyed a lively lunch with my brothers and sisters, several wonderful visits with my cheerful, full-of-life 90-year-old mother, a stirring family soccer game on Saturday morning (featuring all-stars from 8 to 40-something), and a lovely evening cookout at my sister’s home. I packed many activities into the brief weekend, but they all seemed calming and reinvigorating. Interestingly, when I returned home to New England on Sunday afternoon, the weather seemed every bit as peaceful as my entire trip had been. A mild late-summer feeling was in the air. There was a tenderness in the breezes that made me think of the kindness of my students and the many peaceable classroom days that lie ahead. I smiled and quietly sang as I drove down the highway toward home.