Summer Lessons

Each of the last few summers has been a brief glimpse to what the next chapter in Nathan's life will look like.  His graduation in May won't be a mere chapter closing.  It will be the closing of an entire book of his life.  Like mine, I believe Nathan's life will resemble Tolkien's great tome "The Lord of the Rings".  There will be chapters, but there will also be entire books in his story's telling.

This book closes at the end of a long quest with a great victory in it's closing chapter.  Unfortunately,  most of the relationships that Nathan has will end with it.  His solitary existence over the last 3 summers have been a foreshadowing of how the new book's beginning.  Most who profess their love and friendship, even those who have shown him the most kindness will quickly and quietly fade from the story.  

Just like a new book, Nathan's journey will continue, but with the newly introduced story arcs and  cast. Much like Tolkien, the protagonist in this story ends this book in great joy and celebration.  His journey's guide, the aged, yet still "incomplete" wizard knows where the next book begins and looks toward it with great trepidation.

For now, we look forward to a long coming victory whose arrival is now easily measured in weeks.  We will celebrate and revel in the joy it brings.  Still, I can not shake my trepidation the next book's opening brings.

This book's closing also marks this blogs closing.  This is the final entry.  Should the passion to write our story return, I will open a new blog once the second book of our journey has opened. Then again, I may choose silence.  I am finding greater solace there with each passing year.  I know far less about what the opening of the new book means for me than for Nathan.  Time will tell.