The other day, on a day trip to lovely Capitola, we watched a little electric boat being sailed by a quiet boy who stood at the water’s edge. We watched as he motored around, every now and then his boat catching a gentle breeze which took it in a different direction, one not of his choosing.

The breezes helped that little boat sail on, its captain happy at the controls, happy to be letting the winds push him along.

As I watched, I thought about my girls who seem to be growing way too fast.  This summer, we’ve been readying our oldest daughter to head for college.  Now, just less than three weeks until her launch, I’m nostalgic for the lazy days of summer.  We didn’t seem to have many of those this year; internships, jobs, friends all took center stage.  I no longer have my hands over hers as she maneuvers the wheel. She’s steering her boat on her own and she’s getting better at sensing which way the wind is blowing. She’s learning to trust the wind. I’m learning to trust, too.

Meanwhile, summer is flying by a little too fast — the winds picking up as we head into the month of August when everything will change.

In about a week, I’ll return to a job I love, teaching middle school kids.  My younger daughter will begin her junior year which will require much of her.  And my oldest will head off to college.  It’s not just summer that’s sailing away faster than I’d like.