The bitter: ... before the first freeze comes. Then they will make their humble retreat, unceremoniously becoming part of the soil from whence they came.

The bitter: Already a month of the school year has come and gone. Before I know it I will be leaving Mexico, my students, and my life here. I just returned from faxing a job ad to AMI's headquarters in Holland. Yeah. The one that will (hopefully) attract my replacement. This was hard. That fork in the road up ahead? It's no oasis.

The sweet: I'm going "home." Beginning a new chapter. Connecting with old friends and meeting new faces. Becoming part of a vibrant university intellectual community once again.

The bittersweet theme rings true in many areas of my life at the moment. I'm endeavoring to savor life as the dark bar of chocolate that it becomes when it's all taken in perspective. After all, it's the bitter that makes the chocolate rich, its flavor deep, and its delight lasting.

P.S. If you haven't listened to CraftSanity's podcast with Amanda of SouleMama, please do. I believe it touches on this theme. It's very uplifting. I really love Amanda - both her approach to raising children and her effusive creativity that touches every moment of her life as a mother and crafter. It's an hour well-spent.