Fairfax County schools started yesterday. When the girls were younger, the beginning of school marked the end of summer. Over the last week I’ve observed young families return from vacations, kiddos shoot hoops at the end of the cul-de-sac and play flashlight tag after dark, cramming in last-minute bits of fun.

As I watched, I felt in my bones that familiar dread, the pit in the stomach I had as a kid heading back to school, and later as a mom, watching one more summer end. Yes, the children would no longer be underfoot, but I mourned the lack of freedom that entailed.

But yesterday, I was feeling exempt from that dread. This is not to gloat but to celebrate. To revel in the fact that it’s still summer. Cicadas still sing from the trees. Breezes still waft through the (now-open) windows.

I feel so lucky that the beginning of school no longer signals the end of summer. In fact, the warmth often continues through September and into October. Through no meteorological sleight-of-hand, just a shift in perspective, I’ve gained two more months of my favorite season.