You Can Put Away Your Sunscreen

Dearest Rachel –

Well, another season has come and gone. Summer is officially over. Amazing to realize that the passage of time is not an arbitrary concept, but there are physical conditions that we can observe here on earth; day and night, and the length of each defining the season of the year, even if the weather might seem to suggest otherwise.

Although in fairness, the weather is in fact quite appropriate for the day. There are indications that we won’t see temperatures any higher than a mere 65°, and while the cloud cover is fairly total, it would appear that they aren’t planning to drop anything on us for at least the next twenty-four hours. So I guess it’s safe for me to make my way to the ‘office’ on foot today.

It’s also, more than likely, safe to put away the sunscreen; I know, you’d probably remind me (correctly) that the ultraviolet rays can certainly penetrate the overcast as if the clouds weren’t there, but it isn’t as if I’m going to be out any longer than I am on the typical day I spend walking to ‘work.’ And of course, there’s the fact that the sun isn’t up and beating down on all of us like it has been throughout the summer (albeit, it’s not been any worse this summer that any of many, as far as I can see). Besides, I haven’t really bothered with the stuff for the entire season.

Why would I? It’s not like you’ve been here, insisting that we go to some beach or another so you could go swimming. We’ve even foregone the annual trip to the island, as the girls want to go with in order to scatter your ashes, but there are all those scheduling conflicts to deal with. I know the three of us have to come up with a week soon – and contact Aaron to reserve the cottage for this one last trip – in order to prepare for next year, but that’s next year. Daniel and I haven’t been exposing ourselves to the sun like the three of us used to.

Which is probably rather a pity, in your eyes, because it was the whole getting out of the house where the fun was, wasn’t it? Besides, it was the one bit of advice that the commencement speech I’ve referred to several times over the course of these letters had any basis in science, as opposed to the author’s own meandering experience.

Still, in honor of the end of summer, I figure I might as well present that speech (as we best remember it) now – heaven knows, I wouldn’t bother putting up the anime ‘End of Summer’ (and I know you’re giggling about the thought of my doing that. Honey, some things we were meant to just enjoy on our own; not everything can be shared).

It’s amazing how accurate a lot of what the speaker has to say it; it’s why I’ve referred to it multiple times this past year. Certainly, while I’d have to substitute ‘idle Saturday afternoon’ for ‘Tuesday,’ that life-altering incident certainly was spot-on.

But as much as I find myself being dragged toward seriousness, both by these words of alleged wisdom and the shortening days and darkening skies, I have to follow up that anime music video with its parody counterpoint, just to lighten the mood, and to let those who read this know at least one collection of lines that were as much a part of our inside joke collection as quotes from the likes of Stan Freberg and The Princess Bride. So, before we put our stock away for the season, here’s a word from our (non)sponsor, the Canadian Sunscreen Marketing Board:

Of course, I make no claims to either of this, be it the faux-losophy behind them, the recordings made of them, or the AMVs created to illustrate them. It’s just a pair of things we enjoyed and took to heart in a weird little way, and this is my only way to share them with the world (I’d like to them on YouTube, but I couldn’t find them – it’s entirely possible they’d have been taken down or blocked due to copyright infringement these days, anyway; gone are the freewheeling days we remember cutting our teeth on with the internet, you know).

So enjoy the little reminders of the things we used to find funny, and enjoy yourself in the Sonlight in which you currently bask with no more need of SPF protection. And until we’re enjoying it – and Him – together, you take care of yourself, and I’ll try to do the same. I’ll keep in touch with you about the things here on earth that – to which your eyes have grown so dim (which, considering where you are now, is hardly strange at all, no matter what the hymn says).

My love goes with you, darling. Keep an eye out for us, if you can.