August is leaving…

August is leaving. See you on Monday morning, on any corner, walking fast to meet the future.

August is coming to an end and with it the days at the beach, the days of restful rest, the outings, the «general» cleaning of the house, the nightly get-togethers, the hours of well-earned rest?

I remember that in my student years we used to say goodbye to August with a mixture of nostalgia and joy. Nostalgia, because we were leaving behind days and nights full of color, early mornings without going to sleep… and joy, for the reunion of friends in the classrooms, for the beginning of a new school feat.

At home, the images begin to change. Uniforms are tried on; backpacks and lunch boxes are checked to be used again; there are trails of papers to cover books and notebooks… And adults wonder how those who are starting their first year in non-formal education or preschool will fare.

I confess that I was scared to go to school, to leave my grandmother’s hand and sit alone, without my sister, in the classroom of a little school with the best of names: José Martí.

August is leaving, not summer, and we welcome September with new challenges. On Monday the streets will dawn full of schoolchildren and workers in an incessant coming and going. Once again we will run to get to school or work on time. The clocks will chime at dawn and we will welcome September with open arms.

Let’s enjoy these last days and on Sunday night let’s make new commitments, let’s start with better spirits and dreams, let’s live September and the coming months with the same spirit with which we spent the summer.

August is leaving. Let’s say goodbye with pleasure and welcome September full of dreams that can come true. See you on Monday morning, on any corner, walking quickly to meet the future.

Written by  Maritza Tejera.