And the same forces that guide them animate the hum of outrage over the sentiment, “You only get 18 summers with your kids.” Well, like most sources of derision on the internet, “you only get 18 summers” is something of a Rorschach test; its meaning, as much as there is one, depends on who you ask. Still, I can’t help but find the irritation over “you only get 18 summers” misplaced. Nothing about parenting will ever be perfect, just like those final weeks of August will never deliver the perfect summer. But it’s never been about the pursuit of some elusive perfect summer anyway.