Summer Fun

Dear Friend,

Earlier today, I was outside with my three granddaughters. It was an overcast, humid July morning with expected temperatures rising into the high nineties, which made it a perfect day for them to splash in the kiddie pool. They giggled and wiggled, danced and pranced, and enjoyed the cool water. It was sheer joy to watch. Bernadette, my high- maintenance giant schnauzer (aka assistant) likes the water, too. She had her own pool last year, but I forgot to bring it inside one day and she mistook it for a predator, destroying it. Or she just thought it’d be fun to pull it around the yard like an oversized toy. Today, she watched the girls playing in the pool, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. I might have to buy her a new one.

 I’ve always loved the water and have fond memories of going to the lake with my middle sister and parents. I remember the smell of gasoline as my dad filled the car’s gas tank. Long drives. Picnic lunches of ham and cheese sandwiches, Seyfert’s potato chips, and vanilla wafer cookies. My mom singing. One year we rented a cabin. I stood on the bank and fished with my dad (the only memory I have of fishing with him). And you’ll never guess what I caught. I caught a boy! No joke. I flung the pole back to cast, and something went awry because the cute boy who was standing behind me had a hook in his jean shorts. Ha!Ha!Ha! Good times.

Those excursions were far and few between, but I’m thankful for those happy times. I’m also thankful for an older sister and brother-in-law who regularly invited me to join them and their boys when they were going to his family’s lake house. As a preteen and teenager, I felt welcome there. The sun peeked over the horizon every morning as we groggily moved about. The food. The laughter. Playing in the water with my nephews and sunbathing on the dock with my sister. I spent afternoons dreaming big dreams as I walked along a tree-lined road and spent evenings sitting on the porch penning poetry as the sun descended. I’m incredibly grateful for these priceless memories of summer.

But life seems to speed by us quickly, doesn’t it? As an adult, summer seems so brief. Kids don’t get out of school until the end of May, and by the end of July, it’s time to buy school supplies and clothing again. Classes begin in mid-August, which means there’s about four weeks left of this summer, so I’m trying to slow down, breathe in the sensations, absorb God’s artistry, and squeeze joy and happiness out of each day. I’m being intentional about embracing this season by savoring the sweet taste of berries and ice cream, lavishing my loved ones with my presence. I’m trying not to complain about the heat, knowing the weather will cool down soon enough. But now? Now it’s hot. It’s humid. It’s still summer, and there’s still time to camp, go to the lake, ride my bike, help a neighbor, work on a project. No matter what I do, I want to make it memorable.

Because the moments we live today will be tomorrow’s memories.

And that’s something I’m trying to be more mindful of.

I pray you have a safe and satisfying summer with you and yours.

Blessings,

Julia