Sugar, don't forget to stop and smell the magnolias.

In the South especially, life in the summertime is pretty sweet. Sweet with a bite like a strong mint julep or a thick Southern drawl slowly expressing thoughts at the snail's pace of a late July 90-degree afternoon. We complain about the heat, the humidity, the rain, the lack of rain, the heat index, the sunburn, the thundershower, the sunrise and the sunset. And those are only the things that come to mind immediately. Much of my day has been spent under a storm cloud, and now in the late afternoon of the final day of the weekend, I am noticing that summer is already beginning its decline. Barely 6:30 (and in part because of the dark clouds in the sky), it already feels dark. It's like some sort of strange foreshadow, reminding us that summer days come and go, and before you know it winter will be here once again. Then we'll complainn about the cold, the short days, the utility bills to heat our houses and the breath we may see on a cold & humid late November night. This little reminder is perfect in a carpe diem sort of way. While it's still summer and you still can, don't forget to stop and smell the magnolias.