Renewal

I love September. The weather is sunny and the air is crisp, and I feel an extra appreciation for each hour of daylight, each minute of sunshine, because I know that soon the clouds and rain will settle in for a long winter. Most of all, what I love about September is the feeling that a new year is beginning.

I have always felt this way, perhaps as a holdover from so many school years, but there are other milestones which seem to mark the passage of time come September of each year.

Happily, my husband and I celebrated our second anniversary September 3. After two months of renovating a new condo and moving at the end of August, we enjoyed our second night in our new home, complete with a room especially for our baby Hannah instead of a corner in the dining room. We celebrated with a special dinner, our first dinner date without Hannah since she was born. We also made a small but special point to renew our commitment to each other, especially after going through some tough weeks of renovating and moving on top of having a new baby. As an aside, I feel all the more admiration for my husband who has put in countless hours renovating while facing a busy time at work.

For me, September also brings a renewed training regime. With swim masters starting up and the end of the race season (where we live) it is a natural time to forgive the sins of the past year of training and to start planning for next years’ goals.