Chapters

Sometimes chapters begin, and sometimes they end. This time of year is always bitter sweet for those who work on at a college or university. My life has been no exception of late, and I've been through many chapters, with still more on the horizon.

Today is the end of a long, hard semester. We've been running at full steam since January, and I'm really looking forward to a couple of months without night classes, committee meetings, and study groups. Jesse and I will be able to spend a bit more time together, something we've been needing and wanting. We're hoping to spend some time relaxing, whether it's camping at his family's cabin, lounging by a lake, or cutting loose at Pride.

Today is the end of my first academic semester in the new job. Last summer was pretty quiet, and we certainly don't have the number of trainings and such as we do during the school year. This year, however, we're making some changes to different committees and gearing up to break into partnerships with four HBCU's (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). We're going to hit the ground running, and you can be certain that this summer won't be slow or dull. I'm not sure I'm looking forward to more ground-breaking work without a little down time, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

This time of year always means friends leaving, and is my least favorite part of graduation season. Most of the remaining denizens of Flock Hall 2.0 are bound for DC, and I'm going to miss the girls. Nobody cooks quite like Tessa, and we've shared many a bottle of wine together while whipping up something in the kitchen. Zach and Whitney will be here over the summer, thanks to their impending wedding, but then they're off to Africa to do HIV prevention and education.

Yardwork season is also starting. My hay fever HATES this time of year, and it often gives me flashbacks to my years working as summer help for my high school or working on the golf course back home. Kind of like weed eater/lawn mower/concrete pouring PTSD. That said, I'm looking forward to spending some time outside again, and Jesse is giddy about working on the yard. He's already got a jump start, and this weekend we're doing more...including planting flower seeds and veggies in the newly tilled beds out back. If nothing else, there will be more BBQ's and hot tubbing going on with friends, which is always a good thing.

One way or another, many things are starting, while still others end. It's all just another chapter in the stories of our lives. Before I move on to today's lesson, I have a request. Drop me a quick note on my comments, MySpace, or email. Let me know how the chapters in YOUR life are going, and how you're doing. It's a simple thing, but would mean a lot to me before everyone scatters to their own summer adventures. And now, without further ado...

Today's lesson:
Beginnings aren't always good, and endings aren't always bad - life is much more complicated than that. The most important thing we can do is keep turning the pages, one after another. You just have to see how this one ends!