I chose August 31st as the deadline
I picked August 31st for one simple reason: it gave everyone 6 full weeks, and it landed before the fall rush. In the Midwest, once September hits, life starts moving fast. Work gets busier, school traffic changes every routine, holiday planning sneaks up, and suddenly “we’ll deal with it later” becomes “let’s revisit this after New Year’s.”
I also wanted a date that felt neutral, not emotional. I didn’t do it before Mother’s Day or right before Thanksgiving when everyone is already sentimental.
