Although summer is my favorite season, this time around it carried with it more than a bit of a foul taint. As my daughter was suffering from a thorn in her flesh, we were kept apart. While she struggled I was left to the whims of frustration and worry without the ability or opportunity to make any positive contributions. Left to my own, there were no adventures, far too little laughter and exchange, and far too much of routine. My mind kept focusing on what was missing instead of what I had.
I truly understand the feelings of a woman approaching middle age who desperately wants to have a child only to have the sounds of her tears drowned out by the ticking of her biological clock. For me as a father, this summer might just have been the last of my allotment with my daughter as she will likely be going off to college next year. What has always been a time of late nights, special times of interacting, and sharing lots of great food and goodies, has been none of the above this year. I feel the loss so deeply in my bones that I feel absolutely drained of life. Why does the summer have to go when I wish it would stay, just a bit longer?
