The Late Summer of my Life

I was complaining to someone who complimented me that I actually felt like a middle aged hag, and she said the most wonderful thing in return. 

She said "you are in the late summer of your life.  It's not youthful springtime anymore, but you are not into autumn or winter yet, either."

What a beautiful thing to say to me. 

And timely. 

It is now late summer, and in the Orthodox Church we celebrate the feast of Transfiguration.  One tradition is to bring the first fruits of fruit harvest (or anything from the garden) to Church to be blessed and shared around. 

Well, this year, in the late summer of MY life...I have some "fruits" that are ready to go off to college, and in a very short while, I will be an empty nester all of a sudden as three of mine will be going to college all at once.  (B still lives at home with us and will for a good long while due to her autism issues.)

And the thing I was thinking of JUST this week, is that my task is to bring them to God, and let them go, already. 

So they are my first fruits this year, in the late summer of my life.  This thought really helps me with the letting go process that I must be doing.