The author (not pictured) sent her kids away in the summer. Henglein and Steets/Getty Images Summer break created childcare and scheduling challenges as a single parent. I relied on community programs, friends, siblings, and extended support networks. Looking back, I believe those summers helped surround my children with people who cared for them. More than New Year's celebrations and their birthdays, the first and last days of school each year were the greatest markers of time's passage in my