Seasons Change and So Do I

They say nobody really changes. In some ways, I suppose that’s true. People show us who they are and it’s important to believe them, rather than hope we can make a jealous, possessive person sane, for example. But as the seasons change, don’t we change a little with them? “Seasons change and so do I.”

Here are ten things about changing seasons and a changing life…

1 – It was a warm Saturday night in late spring, and I’d visited dozens of dogs, looking for the right one for me when I found Chief. “Why’s he so skinny?” I asked. “They all are,” the shelter people said. Turns out he had Giardia. It’d be many months before he was healthy. He was my keeper of secrets for 12 years of changing seasons.

2- On an early fall day that still felt like summer, we visited dozens of dogs, looking for the right one for Tucker. “Can we have this one?” he asked about every. single. one. We’re still looking for his keeper of secrets.

3 – On a hot July day, my husband took a photo of my swollen belly before we went to dinner. We ordered extravagantly from the chichi menu at our favorite non-kid-friendly restaurant. “Can you believe tomorrow, at this time, we’ll have a baby?” I said.

“Let’s keep us,” we said.

But the us we knew no longer existed, and once we met our son, we forgot. We became a new us.

4 – It was winter the day I promised to be a better me. Tucker’s made so much progress that his new school is re-evaluating him. I’m pretty sure they’re going to drastically cut his support hours back, and I’m trying to not worry in advance. To be a better me, in this and every season.

5 – It’s September here, and school’s been in session for a month. I’m breathing through the changes, through them saying my not-so-little little boy is “fine” in many areas. Out of seven tests, he passed five. On one of them, he scored in the third percentile. I’m being a better me while waiting for them to tell me what they recommend, and I’ll be the best me whether I accept or fight their findings.

6 – Winter had recently become spring the day I went east for a job and a new life. It’d be a few more months before I was able to walk away from he who wanted to keep me on a shelf. It’d be years before I realized how harmful that relationship was.

7 – Mid-summer, when the days are long, and the season seems to last forever. We drove away from the life we’d made, headed back to Colorado. That’s when we realized that moving for the US Government is less than ideal *cough.*

8 – The aspen trees will soon change. I can’t wait to show Tucker and Robert. It’s so different from the east coast. Each, beautiful in its way.

9 – I can’t remember if it was still winter the day an evaluator said “I’ll tell you now. It’s not just a speech delay.”

10 – It’s technically fall although it feels like summer, and it seems we may be close to me having to show new people it’s “not just a speech delay,” although we’re closer to that than we have been for years. I’m thankful for that. Also, nervous. I’ll keep you posted.

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This has been a Finish the Sentence Friday post, where my excellent co-host Kenya Johnson of Sporadically Yours and I invite you to our linkup. This week’s prompt is a 10 Things Listicle – 10 things about the changing of the seasons.

Also? Kenya and her family have had to evacuate for the hurricane. Please keep them and all people (and animals) facing this frightening storm in your thoughts, as will I.