September has been, since when I was little, the time when I felt sad about the end of summer, and the end of many fun events when the wind started to get cooler.
Small festivals held in my neighbourhood, watermelons I ate sitting on the edge of the screen door, playing with my dog and water in the garden, swimming in the sea, the fun time with my best friends. September was the time when I recalled all those memories that had passed by.
The effects of global warming nowadays are drowning out the seasonal changes. Extreme weather changes are threatening us, and we are no longer able to feel the typical hot summer or the delicate move of the wind in autumn and spring.
I recall the memories of summer, when we were still able to enjoy the rich characteristics of each season, and what I remember most is about the summer dresses that my mother made for me.
I felt uplifted just choosing the pretty fabrics.
I chose fabrics in my favourite colour red, with teddy bears and doggies printed on them, and begged my mother to make dresses for me.
No matter how busy she was, she made dresses for me, even if she had to stay up all night to do so, and sewed up the dresses with the sewing machine, she didn’t need any dress patterns, but cleverly cut up the fabric.
The dresses she made were very simple, I just had to pop one over my head to wear. She made plenty of them and I would just change the dress into another one when I sweated and was able to enjoy the luxury.
I also enjoyed practicing the violin, wearing them.
Girls’ spirits can be lifted just by wearing pretty dresses.
Sometimes, I would stand in front of my mother wearing one of her hand-made dresses, and I would play the violin like in a concert, bowing. “Playing concerts” like this was most enjoyable.
I made my professional debut on stage when I was 12, and I think this experience influenced me in a way. I remember wearing stage dresses made by my mother until I was in my mid-teens.
In those times when the four seasons were vividly changing, it was time to change our pace when the hint of autumn knocked on the door of the happily spent fun summer.
Bracing up my mind, I felt that I had grown up a little, and I felt excited when I headed to the autumn concerts, stretching up my back. I really felt that “practice makes perfect” every year.
I practiced the violin, picking up the difficult parts that I could not play, persistently and after a few days, I would show it to my mother in one of those “playing concerts” and it made me happy when she gave me an exaggerated surprising look and a cheerful smile.
Summer was the season when I could improve my playing and every minute I spent practicing in my favourite hand-made dress, sparkled. After practicing my beloved violin as much as I could, I felt the special kind of sense of achievement, and actually recognized that my skills had improved.
Bringing myself into the autumn like that in September, is one of the fondest memories of summer.