The song: September, by the group Daughtry, is a piece that reflects on the tender memories of growing up. The chorus says:

Of all the things I still remember
Summer’s never looked the same
The years go by and time just seems to fly
But the memories remain

The summer of 2009 is officially over at 1:00 this afternoon. Mitchell will pick up his school schedule at that point. This year will be the final one for him in the middle school. Daniel secured his schedule earlier this week. This year will be the final one for him in high school. When kids pick up their schedules, reality hits. The party is over. Summer has come to a screeching halt.

The years have gone by… But I still have vivid memories of the summers of yesteryear. There were Kick the Can games that always lasted until dark. It was our juvenile version of Capture the Flag. We of course had our own elaborate rules. It was a game that we did not take lightly. Of course on Friday evenings we had to come inside long enough to watch the Brady Bunch on television. I marvel at the innocence of it all now. While we were playing our games and riding our bikes to each other’s houses, there were men ten years our senior fighting for their lives in the jungles of Vietnam.

The decade of the 1970’s moved on rapidly. By 1978, most of us had driving privileges. Some of us had cars. My best friend drove a hand me down 1971 Pinto station wagon. Of course it was a brown paneled station wagon. We spent our evenings getting into all sorts of mischief. My pinto driving friend told a few years ago that I owed law enforcement agencies in the state of Texas lots of volunteer chaplain time, because I spent the first half of my life running away from those guys.

I don’t remember the specific things we did as much as I do the people that I spent those formative years with. I probably should say that my memory is somewhat selective. There are things that probably should be forgotten! I have renewed contact with the vast majority of that group. Each of them is special beyond words. We formed bonds during the summers of the late 1970’s that have impacted each of us for a lifetime.

The innocence of the Kick the Can days was replaced with all of the uncertainties that accompany the teen years. We wanted to be independent. We all desired an identity apart from our parents. We felt called to rebel. And rebel we did. It was a time for first love. It was a time to learn about the meaning of friendship. We lived for the moment and gave no thought to the future. It was a time of experimentation.

We could have destroyed our lives during one our summer evening escapades. One or more of us could have been killed when we drove home in a drunken stupor. It was a time of grace. Thankfully God had obvious plans for each of our lives.

The summer of 2009 is officially over. It has been a good summer. I had the privilege of attending two church camps with my boys. I celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary with my young bride. I spent time with friends that I have known since I was a teen, and others I have known for a much shorter period of time. I formed new friendships as well.

I had several great speaking opportunities for churches and law enforcement agencies alike. I played a few rounds of golf. I spent some time in the front seat of a patrol car instead of running away from the red and blue lights. But the summer of 1979 is very much on my mind this morning, because…..

Of all the things I still remember
Summer’s never looked the same
The years go by and time just seems to fly
But the memories remain