To August: A Love Letter

Living in Houston for your entire life, there are many things you are taught you need: a big car, a long commute, a mansion in Katy with tons of furniture to fill it. But all of these material things are not truly necessary for life, save one: the almighty air conditioning. Every good Texan knows that the months of March – December are simply not survivable without a robust AC configuration in both your house & car and every store or restaurant you dare set foot in.

The month of August, in particular, was always a target of my most special scorn. No holidays to celebrate, nothing of note to offer, just dreadful, unholy heat. A heat so potent that, without the presence of water, no outdoor activity should even bare consideration. The fact schools allowed children a break during the summer seemed a cruel joke. To me, it seemed much more logical to insulate them with textbooks and cold classrooms for the summer! August was simply a month to be survived, not lived.

This summer, however, everything has changed.

As I sit here writing this, I am NOT EVEN USING AC. In the middle of the afternoon. IN AUGUST. There is a cool breeze wafting through my screen door and the promise of fall is already in the evening air. I finally understand why the word ‘summer’ is revered in places outside of Texas. I now know why people wait with eager anticipation for the first of May and the long, perfect days to fill with endless enjoyment and adventure.

Though the winters in the North are surely brutal, the splendor of summer is something to rejoice and revel in! Since the onset of summer in Yankee country, we have been insulated from the smoldering heat I’d come to expect and have thrown off our shackles and taken to the streets! Blueberry picking, boat rides, drive-in movies, bike rides, strolling city streets and parks… August is ours to love and live in!

I see now that I have done the month a great disservice in my heart all these years. Much like ridiculing a person for a single shortcoming or indiscretion, I had only seen August at it’s worst! Gone now are my hard feelings and resentment, replaced with that singular joy that only perfect weather can bestow. Dear August, please forgive me!