MIDSUMMER TRANSITIONS

by Sanda Baucom Hight

Let us not speak negatively of August. It has its share of gifts, graces and charms.

August was not named for a Roman god, as were some of the other months. The word “august” comes from the Latin “augustus,” which means “respected or impressive.”  The word was used to describe the name of the first Roman emperor, Octavius Caesar, who became known as Augustus Caesar or Caesar Augustus.

So, the name for our eighth month does not have a humble beginning. August is also thought to have the spiritual meaning of “Illuminating the corners of the soul.”

August to us today in our part of the world represents midsummer; it is a transition month, since it is associated with change of many aspects of our lives.

In August, the sky seems to be broader, bluer and brighter; the corn is wormier, and tomatoes are not quite as prolific as they were earlier in the summer; hydrangeas are almost gone, but goldenrod is coming right along.

Floors in school halls are cleaner and shiner in preparation for school opening; school supplies are on sale, along with school clothes; backpack drives are in full swing, and the community is helping to build excitement to help schools get started on a good note; teachers are rested and ready to start the school year, some for the very first time.

Teenagers have fatter wallets after working at a variety of summer jobs; opportunities for playtime are getting more urgent in the last weeks of the season; many young people are preparing to leave home for the first time to enter college, the job market or commitments with the military; parents are helping their children on every front to get ready for the next step in their lives.

August is at its peak.

And for those who were born August, it might be the best month of the year.

With all the activity and excitement, there is also some sadness at the end of a more relaxed season for many people, although for some people, farm families and construction workers, for example, summer is the season that requires longer work hours and more responsibility than other seasons.

Getting back to the idea of the spiritual associations to August, we can think of all the above activities and use this time of the year to reflect on our lives: what we have accomplished this year and what we still need to get done to make this year the best we can make it; how we have met this year’s challenges, for certainly there have been many; how we have grown spiritually and socially and how we have made our mark in our family and community.

Yes, the eighth month, as the Quakers used to call August, represents a time of reflection and transition. It is a good month, one that gives us 31 days to live, grow, learn, love, improve ourselves in many ways and soak up all the glories of the broad blue sky and more as we move on to the next phase of our lives.

And when August is over, we still have four more months left in the year to bring their own gifts and graces, even though there might be bumps along the way.

Let us remember August for its qualities of respect and impressiveness and for its ability to “Illuminate the corners of the soul.”  Let us call on August to teach us to be healthier, smarter, more compassionate, more active, more excited, more loving and more aware of the world.

May August help us see the light in all aspects of our lives.