Summer Time. Is there any season sweeter, shorter, easier, more relaxed than summer?
I feel like I’m just catching up with myself to find I am in the height of the summer season. Officially, we are only a few weeks into the season of summer but it always feels so short. July is the height of it all, August we can start to see the days shorten as back-to-school ads inundate us every moment, and then September it is back to routines, school, work schedules — a chill comes into the air and we are already hunkering down for the fall and winter to come.
But here we are at the epitome of summer. Do you feel these are easy days? It seems that routines are let go of, people are out and about in nature, vacations are being taken, and it’s a good day to take a dip in a pond or pool. Who wants to turn on the oven? Now the grills are fired up and salads and no cook options are on the menu. It all feels different.
What are your plans? For me, I am just seeking to savor the moments. You may be like me with a stack of books to read — get one of those out, pour yourself a favorite drink, and enjoy reading an actual book. There are a lot of fun, light movies and shows to watch — give in and see them. Don’t forget to check out free movies, concerts, and plays in your community — a great way to have an evening out with the beautiful weather without breaking the bank.
Go on a vacation — even a day trip if that is all that is possible. Vacations don’t have to be fancy — often a walk in the woods or a park can be a vacation all on its own. I think the theme of a vacation is to get away from the normal settings you live in and be curious about a place that is new or revisit to find something new. Get away — become refreshed.
Leave your screens behind. It’s all most people do anymore, ie to look down at their phones and off they go for hours at a time. Be mindful of your time on the phone and be intentional about putting it away when on vacation or limit it during these short days so you can be as fully present in the summer days as possible. Just an idea — I know an often dreaded one.
The last thing I want for myself is to wake up the day after Labor Day and say to myself, “Where did it go?” Of course, I most likely will be asking myself this no matter what, but I guess it is the response that counts. It went and I made the MOST of it.
Now is the time to be in summer and let summer be in you. Have fun!
