August Reset: Why This Feels Like a Second New Year
Back-to-school has always felt like the beginning of a new chapter—far more than January 1st ever has. Maybe it's because so much of my life has been measured by the school calendar. As kids, we counted our years by grades instead of birthdays. Then came college semesters, where every August brought a fresh schedule, new classes, and another opportunity to grow. For a while after I graduated, I lost that rhythm. Summer no longer meant a break. Vacations happened whenever I could squeeze them in, not because the season invited me to slow down. One season quietly bled into the next, and before I knew it, another year had passed. Now that Alfonso is a teacher, Summer has found its way back into our lives in the best possible way. It has become our reset. Here in Florida, August is the unofficial beginning of autumn—even if the thermometer strongly disagrees. It's finally raining enough that an afternoon shower might leave you reaching for a sweater or blanket. Not because it's...