An Ode to September

September has been my favorite month for as long as I can remember.  Recognizing now (and reconciled to the fact) that I was a strange kid, I always looked forward to school starting.  The advent of September way back then meant new shoes, sweaters in gorgeous hues of Autumn, jeans that were actually long enough for my ever-growing legs, notebooks full of nothing but possibility and erasers that had yet to know a mistake.  It was the most joyous month of the year.

Flash forward 20-30 years and September now means the end of the fiscal year.  It's a busy time, but usually accompanied by a tremendous feeling of accomplishment and even victory.  Every year, the goals set by the Powers That Be get steeper, our resources get slimmer and the element we serve gets more difficult to manage.  It really does take a special breed of person to do what we do with sensitivity and integrity, and I am proud to call my business associates friends.  September gives me the unique opportunity to review the year in both hardships and accomplishments in the face of hardship.  While I am quick to recognize accomplishments throughout the year, there is nothing quite so impactful as reviewing the whole year in one staff meeting and recognizing the role each team member played in our success.  I love it.  Plus, we enjoy a rare moment of civility with one another and take time to share a great breakfast!   This year, my Year in Review annual victory speech will be slightly tempered by one empty seat.  There is nothing to celebrate in losing a staffer, even if it is the best thing for all parties involved.  It's a sad, sad waste.  With that said, knowing exactly how my team will enter into a new fiscal year, I feel refreshed, hopeful, confident and even excited.  In their faces, I see the inextinguishable "BRING IT" determination that is as much a part of their DNA as is the color of their eyes.  They slay dragons, grab tigers by the tail, protect the most vulnerable amoung us and do it all with a smile, everyday.  It's my honor and privilege to work side by side with them.

September also gives me the "right" to go shoe shopping.  Not like recreational, amateur shoe shopping.  More like major league shoe shopping. 

They don't call me Imelda for nothing.

September ushers in new car models (yes, I've been having the convertible-sportscar-mid-life crisis for the past 10 or 15 years).  I got behind a white Mercedes SL550 roadster tonight that was as sweet as a new-born babe's bottom. 

Note to self - buy more lottery tickets.

Oh excuse me while I get that pesky silver spoon out my mouth..

September skies are a special shade of blue, reserved only for the 30 days between August and October.

September brings back my favorite tv characters, Mer-Der-Steamy-Dreamy-Bailey-Owen-Christina and those interlopers from Mercy West.  Trust Fund Baby Avery can stay - the rest (who are still breathing) must go.  Can it be true that this is the final season?  If the creator would just hear me out, I think I could change her mind.

September returns football to us.  As Hank would say, "Are you ready for some football?!!"  Pre-season is great but actual MNF is vunderbolten, farfignewton, betterthantwochocolatemartinis, great.

And then there is something about the air in September.  The first cool morning, the first brilliant humidity-free Fall-ish afternoon...I breathe deeper and with pleasure.  

Considering my deep seated affinity for the 9th month (and sapphires),  maybe being born in September was a fore-gone conclusion...

Georgia faction up for a visit beginning Friday, and I leave for Cali on Saturday so I'm sure it will be mid-month before you hear from me again.
Until then friends, I hope you too find reason to celebrate September.