you say goodbye, i say hello.

whew. it has been one of those weeks, hasn't it?

i am glad it is the weekend so that i can take some time to decompress.

i love words that imply newness:

rejuvenate. renewal. recharge. regroup. refocus.

i am thankful for fresh starts,

but i have noticed that i am much better at welcoming a new season

than i am at properly closing the old one.

for example, i am so ready to sweep summer under the rug.

summer didn't do anything wrong,

but i'm conditioned to anticipate the changing of the seasons.

and with those changes, i can give myself a mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional

makeover.

sometimes that includes new healthy recipes -

this skinny chicken parm, for example.

twas delicious, i assure you.

sometimes that includes living my season by a new soundtrack -

nothing makes me feel more fall than singer-songwriters like brett dennen.

how about rekindling an old love for baking that was swept under the rug

by a diabetes diagnosis?

i chose to lose a hobby over learning to innovate.

i think it is time to bring back the old tricks.

and sometimes you just need to focus on serenity.

each season brings its own series of tragedies and triumphs,

excitements and disappointments.

many of the first things i learned in school as a child involved cycles -

changing seasons, photosynthesis, and even life itself.

some cycles are unchanging and some offer unwelcome disruptions.

i think cycles exist to provide us with periodic newness -

an opportunity to shed the demons of old and adorn ourselves in a renewed attitude.

it is an opportunity to improve upon our own personal brand.

sure, i have had to face tragedies this summer.

i've had to cope with things i've never imagined were in store for me (and my friends).

but rather than sweep summer under the rug with my typical neglectful goodbye,

i'm acknowledging that the setbacks were opportunities for personal growth.

i am learning that the goodbye is just as important as the hello.

i don't always get a rewrite, but that doesn't mean i am not constantly editing.

what are you hoping to edit this fall?