This is quite possibly one of the most depressing times of the
year for me–the end of summer.

Every year, I’m filled with excitement and the carefree spirit
of summer, and I feel like I’m on top of the world. Once the time
comes to go back to school, classes and studying, I get a little
sad. This summer was no doubt one of the best yet, and I needed to
find something to lift my spirits about it ending.

In May, Bob Greene of The Chicago Tribune wrote a commentary
titled “Summer Days, Summer Nights, Pebbles in a Jar.” The theme of
the commentary was remembering what summer stands for and embracing
those things: freedom, rejuvenation, friendship and
self-discovery.

Greene said that the best things in life were like pebbles in a
jar–finite, tangible and ours to withdraw at our own pace. If we
take them out too quickly, we are greedy and will experience
emptiness when they are gone. If we hold them too long and are
miserly, we miss the best moments of our lives.

After reading the commentary, I started making a list of pebbles
I had withdrawn.

Particular moments stood out such as talks with my best friend,
baseball games, a special boy and the smell of summer nights. While
creating my list, a wave of wistfulness swept over me as I realized
yet another amazing summer was fading before my eyes.

I wondered if I had been greedy or miserly with my pebbles, and
I wondered how I’d make it through the school year to my next
summer.

All I could see ahead of me were classes, papers, exams and a
lack of sleep. I decided to make another list of moments I enjoyed
at Saint Louis University last year.

The first weekend on campus, snowball fights, great friends and
Spring Fever topped the list.

I began thinking about my feelings toward school, and it hit me:
often we get so caught up in our daily regimes and stresses that we
lose our optimism and energy which come so freely during the
summer.

We live by the words: ” I don’t have the time/money/energy,” and
we don’t see the pebbles around us waiting to be discovered. We
begin to believe the world has grown a little colder and a little
more of our innocence has been lost with every passing year.

But the world hasn’t changed–we have.

We become engulfed in lives that push the jars of pebbles aside
and we forget about things like late-night Frisbee, laughing with
friends and sunsets.

Soon, all we see are deadlines and pressure, things that never
cross our minds during sunny summer days and magical summer
nights.

The truth is, no matter what the season may be, we always have
pebbles to be used if we just remember to dust off the old jar and
enjoy ourselves. Summer days and summer nights are what memories
are made of, there’s no doubt in my mind about that. In fact,
summer creates some of the best moments of our lives.

But it’s not the only time that can happen.It’s amazing how many
pebbles surround us every day. All we have to do is stop to pick
them up. It’s amazing how fabulous our time at school can truly
be–despite the hassles and stress of our academic lives–if we
just stop and enjoy the simple things life hands us.

I know for a fact that I’ll look back on this summer with
bittersweet feelings, but more importantly,

I’m beginning to look forward to the promise of the incredible
moments this year will bring. Fall is a great time, maybe even as
great as summer, but in its own special way. Take time to see even
the smallest pebbles around you this year; there will be many.

Keep the spirit of summer alive in your mind, and allow yourself
to experience the most spectacular moments of your life.

Sharon Turlek is a junior majoring in political
science.