Sarah Warsi

Well, there you have it. The days are slowly getting shorter, the air is getting cooler, the morning smell of blooming ragweed indicating the start of allergy season can all only mean one thing: the end of summer is officially imminent.

There is always a somewhat melancholy feeling about this time of the year. It’s like the Sunday of the summer; the end of an era. I’ve written a few posts in the past about the ‘glass half full’ side of this: (i.e.: Seeing beauty in the changing colours of the trees, fall fashion trends, Thanksgiving, etc), but now, I am most looking forward to something quite simple: Peace.

We’ve had yet another traumatic summer in Toronto with a surge in gun violence. Practically every day we are waking up to a fresh news alert of another brazen shooting. It’s just heartbreaking.

And on a more personal level, while the sun has been shining bright, there are many people going through very dark times in their lives, battling unforeseen hardships, including health issues and tragic loss. We must never lose our humility and remember that someone, at any given time, is dealing with much greater challenges than pouting about the calendar turning to September.

The best thing we can do is something that isn’t just reserved for August, but is year-round and universal – and that is to just be grateful for the simpler things in life. Peace, health and being present. Find joy is what you have, rather than robbing yourself of being happy in the now, because you continue to yearn for something better. Time in precious and it is not to be wasted.

So although the drab and dreariness of today felt more like a day in mid-October, I tried my best to stay focused and uplifted, and reminded myself that those ‘dark’ days can only be followed by bright ones ahead.

Here’s to a peaceful transition into the latter part of 2019. I wish all of you a fulfilling rest of the year and beyond.