By RTF Staff Writer Shannon Meiers

To My First Love,

You were always there for me.  From May to August, you let me sleep in — even when I wished for the hustle and bustle of last year. You let me write a book and you put a stop to my school subjects, forcing me to finish it on schedule.

There were times I complained that you were boring. You made me have too much time on my hands. I felt like I wasn’t accomplishing anything worthwhile, but there you were – beckoning me back to the leisure that you loved. The long water battles, reading days, and picnics at the lake were always your favorites.

When you first came around, I swore I wouldn’t enjoy you. I vowed that I would refuse your company, instead resorting back to the one you rescued me from. But you proved me wrong. Now I wish we could always be together, wasting our time in true nostalgic fashion.

In the waning days of our relationship, I hope against hope that you will make a reappearance. That you won’t have to go. That you would stay, and be with me forever.

But you refuse my pleas. Your hardened heart has been turned against me. As football season approaches, you will stalk out of my life. You will give way to one who always demands my time. I tried telling you that you could stay, but you wouldn’t listen. You foresaw conflict in my schedule if you stayed, and you feared that I wouldn’t be able to spend much time with you.

You promised that you will be back next year, and I know you will. You insist that it will be better for us to be with other people, and I agree. It’s just so hard to let go of you. Before you leave, I want to tell you one thing:

I will always love you, Summer.

Sincerely,

Shannon

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Shannon is a high school freshman who is deeply passionate about  making a difference for Christ. She has enjoyed expressing herself with words since she was eight, and she says her handwriting and her spelling have not gotten any better. She currently lives in a small town in southwestern PA, which she enjoys walking through with her dog, Maggie.