We’re in the “Almost Summer” Phase and Everyone Is Running on Empty

In my city school will be out next week. Families are in the “Almost Summer” Phase and Everyone Is Running on Empty. Especially me. How about? For my friends and family there is a specific stretch of the year where everything feels like it’s in between.

School isn’t quite over yet. Summer hasn’t started. Routines are still in place, but no one is really operating at full capacity anymore. This is the “almost summer” phase. The time of year I would like to hide.

Energy is lower. Patience is thinner. Schedules feel heavier than they did a month ago, even if nothing has technically changed. It’s not burnout in the dramatic sense—it’s accumulation. Months of early mornings, school events, and no, I do not have kids in school but I have niece and nephews who have events we attend.

My work demands have gotten busier with Charlie being out of town and not here to help me. Constant coordination finally starts to show up all at once. And yet life keeps moving at the same pace. This is where grace matters more than productivity. Not everything needs to be optimized right now. Some seasons are just about finishing gently.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates