Sarah Warsi

And here we are – the ‘Sunday’ of Summer has come upon us.

August is always that time of the year where the air just takes this shift that symbolizes that summer is officially in its homestretch and you get that feeling of things winding down.

The days start to get slightly shorter (no!) and although we are still enjoying the summer heat, the humidity feels different – less hazy and sticky which is super refreshing. I don’t think anyone is a fan of having to peel their clothing off when it’s pushing 40 degrees. (eek!)

Also, the distinct smell of ragweed engulfs your nostrils and before you know it, you’re blowing through an entire box of tissues in one day. (Okay, that’s a little dramatic, but my fellow end-of-summer allergy sufferers will be able to relate.)

Let’s Go Jays!

So since last year, I’ve become a sort of actual baseball fan. And by that, I mean that I’ve been fairly regularly keeping up with how the Blue Jays have been doing this season thus far.

This year marked the Jays 50th season which they celebrated by unveiling this commemorative logo. That’s quite the milestone!

How great would it be for the Jays to make it back to the big stage in their 50th year?

Unfortunately, at the moment, that seems to be a bit of a long shot. Since the season began at the end of March, they’ve had their share of performance highs and lows coupled with injuries galore. As a result, they currently sit in last place in the AL East rankings.

Now, I am not going to pretend like I understand all the stats that go into how teams are ranked at all, but I know a big part of the criteria has to do with number of games won vs. lost.

It will be a shame if we don’t make the post-season this year – especially after making it to the World Series last year. What a dramatic shift! I am hoping our beloved team can somehow claw their way back and sustain a dominant winning streak between now and the end of September. There is still time. *fingers crossed*

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Back to School Buzz

For parents with children in school, August is also a time to start thinking about back to school preparations. I low-key miss that part of my childhood when I would get my list of school supplies ready to buy at the local supply store.

My go-to items in elementary school were pencil crayons, those ‘smelly’ markers, duotangs, and a new pencil case among many other things.

I have a silly memory from the early ’90s where owning a set of smelly markers was the ‘cool’ thing to do. No idea why having a set of them held so much clout, but you were cooler if you had the full 12-color set, and only marginally cool if you had the smaller 8-color set. haha!

Also, you can still buy these today, which is pleasantly surprising and I guess a testament of their long-standing popularity over the decades.

Now, of course, virtually all supplies can be bought online – definitely a huge shift from my ‘back to school’ era. lol

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The Unseen Reset

With September around the corner, August becomes the quiet ‘training ground’ for the reset that comes with it.

September is like the mid-year ‘new’ year and the return of routine triggers an inevitable mindset shift. It’s a time to be more intentional with your goals, more grounded in your direction, and more aware of how you want to show up for the rest of the year

It’s also a time to reinforce gratitude and kindness.

No one’s life path is linear. Not by a long shot. Everyone goes through ups and downs, highs and lows, twists and turns. You might be at a stage in your life where all the pieces have not quite fallen into place yet, but you’re probably a lot further long now than you were before. Be grateful for the progress you’ve made. The real flex is in the journey, not the end game.

Also, this can’t be reiterated enough – let’s be kind to each other. People all around you are silently dealing with their own quiet battles that you know nothing about. I’ve seen a recent example of this myself and it gave me pause.

Kindness, compassion and understanding can go a long way. It can be easy to misread someone’s vibe or draw conclusions, but if you take a moment and remind yourself that it’s usually never about you and often about something rooted in their own life, it will help you change course.

Of course, your level of connection and relationship to someone will shape the depth of your interactions, but sending the right, positive energy – even from a distance, without knowing what they’re carrying – can make a huge difference.

Even in your day to day life, a stranger might make a point to wish you a good day before they get off the elevator, or they might go out of their way to hold the door for you, or compliment your outfit – these tiny moments of humanity stay with you. It’s a reminder that goodness exists everywhere, often in the places you least expect.

So as we soak up the final weeks of August, I wish you all continued peace, happiness and positive vibes all around.