It seems Summer 2025 is fading away and as it does, heatwaves rage on in Jacksonville,Florida. The heat index today was 117 degrees, 97 degrees Fahrenheit in Orange Park, on the west side, just inland of the city. I spent the afternoon smack dab in the prime wrath of today’s heatwave, visiting children on my caseload. Coming home that evening I reveled in as little clothes as possible, fully equipped with a neck fan and admiring the modern conventions of the air conditioning. Taught a NAMI Peer to Peer course for the summer session for NAMI Jacksonville and later retired to bed blasting the industrial fan for extra relief.

The FSU Summer 2025 semester is nearly complete, I finished a major grant proposal for one course this past weekend of 25 pages. 2 semesters left until I have met the requirements for my Masters in Social Work. I have a clinical internship this upcoming spring 2026. It surreal that these 3 years of later nights, early mornings, and even longer weekends studying is almost done.

Simultaneously as Jason and I finish school for the semester, the girls are ramping up for school start of the 2025-26 school year. Ella has training at the school this week for web crew and mentor program as she enters school as a rising 8th grader. Hazel has orientation Wednesday at her elementary school, Grove Park where she will be a rising 4th grader.

As summer for us fades, I am reminded of the twisted cruelty of time passing ever so quickly. The passage of time mirrors the summer’s diminishing warmth. I savor these final days of long summer sunsets, and would even hold on to the heat’s wrath over Jacksonville, FL. If I cannot stop the time from passing, I will take in every moment of these dog days of summer, grateful and in awe of this place I call home. Doing my absolutely best to take in every moment. Every thunderstorm, every seemingly unbearable temperature, every sunset, every day with Jason and the girls (Chloe included) will take these experiences any day of the week. I have a newfound appreciation for the heat, as it lingers I hope it doesn’t fade too soon.

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