dear summer fridays

it's been a little over three years since we first met. i was a recent college grad just entering the workforce and you were a staple of office life in publishing companies. i was just starting as an assistant, and you were entering your umpteenth year of giving office workers a half day on friday after flexing their hours during the week. we've been through our ups and downs, but i just thought i would say this: i love you.

i'll admit that that first summer, i was confused. confused about why, exactly, you were in my life and confused about what, exactly, i was supposed to do with you. i didn't take advantage of all you had to offer. i used you for doing laundry, or watching law and order reruns. what was i thinking?

i definitely learned my lesson and the next summer, that was our best. i used you for lunch with my friends, leaving early for weekend trips, and sitting in the park. it was like a vacation day every friday afternoon and yet i was still working the same amount of hours and getting the same amount of work done.

last summer, well, that was a different story. we grew apart. i was stuck at the office working long hours on fridays while you strutted around with all my friends. gone were the days of friday afternoon lunches or weekends away. heck, i would have even taken an afternoon of law and order reruns! i was pretty angry with you at the end of last summer, i must say.

but then, a few months ago, they tried to take you away from me. not like last year, where i just had too much to do and couldn't actually spend the time with you but they tried to tell me we couldn't spend any time together at all! not even if i was able to! well, that got me all riled up. riled enough to fight and win you back.

it's been a rough year for us, but we've made it through stronger than ever. now, i actually cherish a friday that i spend doing laundry, but still make plans to go out to lunch, too. and, every once in a while, we spend some time apart and i work the whole friday. i've learned that you give me the freedom to do what i want, when i want. and that is why i love you.