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This feels familiar.

The last week of May reminds me somewhat of the last week of December. At this point in 2023, December is nearly as far in the rearview mirror as it is ahead of us. However, think back to the social calendar for December. Did the onslaught of holiday get-togethers, celebrations, performances, and gift exchanges take its toll in a good way? The feeling May ends with reminds me somewhat of those over-peopled, holly, jolly, calendar-crammed, joy-filled December days.

May is different, of course. The weather, for one thing, is much more pleasant. The pollen has passed where I live. The flowers are blooming. The trees are greening up and filling the empty branches with emerald leaves. In May, there are so many celebrations to observe. I live in an area with several colleges and universities nearby. I particularly enjoy the transition of college graduation, where young people step out of the academic bubble and into real life.

Furthermore, May brings us Mother’s Day. I am blessed with a caring and supportive mother, and I do what I can to honor her role in my life and our family’s life. I remember being an undergraduate, and my college graduation was on Mother’s Day weekend! The warm sun became uncomfortable as I sat on the Campbell University lawn in my robe and mortarboard. While I was excited to receive my diploma, I was also uncertain, knowing that when the ceremony ended, I would need to find a new way to live my life because my season in that place was over. That weekend was so hectic. Friends and family hugged me and congratulated me on my scholastic achievements.

Moreover, as I reflect on it, they supported me as I launched into a new journey of young adulthood. In a few short months, unbeknownst to me then, I would be living in a different state, attending a new school, and studying an entirely new subject matter. Nevertheless, I can look back on that graduation weekend and realize it was the relationships that I would take with me when I eventually moved on.

May is as transitional as it is relational.

I have shared before in this space how free I felt as a kid being released on the last day of school here https://www.drandybrown.com/blog/summer-surprises/. The end of May brings that transition to kids in school as they close the books, clean out the lockers, and scrawl signatures and witty comments in all the yearbooks. May’s transitional season is not just for kids. The season changes from cool spring to warm summer. In my neck of the woods, that transition usually happens overnight. The end of May sees us stop reaching for light jackets and umbrellas and instead for sunglasses and flip-flops. My grandmother always waited for the “bri’berry rain” to signal the arrival of summer. I can still hear her say it in her North Carolina accent, and I remember the anticipation that summer would be just around the corner when that long, cool rain was over.

And here it is again. We have made it through all the exams, recitals, graduations, gatherings, picnics, parties, memorials, and celebrations of May. The “bri’berry rain” happened this weekend. Summer is just around the corner. I, for one, am looking forward to the transition. Bolstered by quality time with friends and family spent in May, I look forward to summer’s adventures.