Harry Potter Summertime

When Herself read the Harry Potter books, she was struck by the degree to which the long summer affected Harry. Even though the break between school years was essentially a mere two months -- the spring semester ending June 30, and the fall semester beginning September 1 -- those nine weeks always appeared to be interminable to Harry. His descent into despair and hopelessness was inevitable, it seemed. 

Herself was always skeptical.  How bad could it really be? Surely he could have the fortitude to pull himself up by his bootstraps and do what needed to be done for that short time?  Man up, Harry!

Now, though, Herself understands.

In the household, summertime is always a very different creature from the school year.  While it lacks the day-to-day activities of school and homework and such, it nevertheless has its own rhythms and chores and expectations.  There seems to be more cooking and cleaning.  There is a constant presence in the house of one or more of the Offspring.  There's a wish for More Fun and Interesting Activities, to be weighed against ordinary Work work and other things.  Balance is difficult.

Herself -- always a creature of habit -- dislikes the disruption of the routine and the sudden diminishment of her time Alone. Lovely and wonderful though the Offspring are, the greater amount of required human interaction is tiring for Herself. She finds it difficult to focus on things because of the steady flow of small interruptions. It is tricky.

She daydreams about sitting peacefully somewhere out of doors, in the shade under a tree or on a boulder; about having a moment when nothing is expected of her, when no one wants or needs anything from her, when all is settled and quiet.  And she comprehends how Harry Potter could so easily fall prey to his own dark thoughts during the restless summertime.

Monsoon season, please come upon us and quench our feverish minds. Give us the respite from the heat that we so desperately require. Allow us to stand in the rain, to watch the water fall, to be in the moment, for just a little while - lest we fall into the despair of the summer.