Here in the south we get the blazingly hot weather unexpectedly. It can be a frosty morning with a record high in the 90’s by 3pm. I love the unpredictability of it all, I usually dress Bear wrong for school- shorts on the cool days and long-sleeves on the hot days.
Tonight a cool front has moved it. We are suppose to get our first freeze soon and the air is teeming with the excitement of cool weather. Bear and I sat in the drive way as it moved in. The air was electric and we watched the lighting dance between clouds high above, followed by loud, seemingly random, booming thunder.
The evening cooled concrete was surprising and we sat together, silently between fits of giggles and his joy. The cool breeze whipped down like an embrace, pushing Bear’s blonde curls and sending us shivering into a tight hug. The sound of a stray leaves scraping along on the hard surface sounded like chimes.
We sat forever, cuddled, his heart pounding through his shirt and limbs unable to be still. The excitement radiated out and I felt the intoxication of being 4 and the magic of a storm without the scientific knowledge.
The first few drops started to come down. Icy cold on our bare, sun kissed arms, startling me out of forever. We retreated to the porch, bare footed, drops on our skin and his head on my shoulder while the rain let go and the lighting lit up the sky in time to the thunder. Life all around, swirling. Dizzingly, intoxicating.
We retreated indoors, the house cozy and warm but a quiet reality. It sobers and soothes, but hides the beauty outside. and there is a pang of sadness- of departure- as our weather transitions. I won’t miss this summer, with it’s long days and exhausting heat. I love the coolness, it warms me inside as I transition into pumpkin flavorings, cinnamon and warm breads. I hope to smell the first fire lit by a neighbor in their fireplace soon. But the sadness of a type of death, of the ending of another season lingers into the joy, a heart-ache of sorts that I push aside like all the other things I have no control over. I hold tighter to the good, releasing the bad from clenched fists. and smell the sweetness after the storm.