Today's topic idea came from my good friend Holly. So everyone say, "Hey Holly!" But I liked the idea, so I stole, I mean, borrowed it.
But seriously, it IS hard to believe that we're quickly approaching the final stages of summer. Does time go faster the older we get, or does it only seem that way? Is autumn really only a blink away from breezing into our lives? Not that I mind because I love fall. It's always been my favorite season. I don't do so well in the heat. I melt easily. ;-) But most summer days here in Minnesota aren't too extreme as far as heat goes. And while it is more humid than the West, it's not usually unbearable like the South, which feels pretty similar to a jungle, minus all the coconuts and monkeys. So except for a handful of days when it feels like the equator has gifted us with its palpable humidity, summer here is pretty nice. Especially compared to winter (my least favorite season). It's not just that it can get wickedly cold. It's that it's so long. My calendar says winter lasts three months. It says Thanksgiving is an autumn holiday, and Easter comes in the spring. Those of us who live here laugh at such nonsense. So summer is good. Very good.
But now, it's winding down. So, I need to take the time and focus required to really make the most of it. To savor and enjoy. To not let myself get so diverted by life's minor annoyances that I forget to appreciate the fun stuff, especially the parts that are unique to or best during summer. Things like being outdoors without 57 layers of clothing, the longer daylight hours, the warm sensation of sunshine on a walk through my quaint little downtown area or in the park or by the lake, the pleasure of eating ice cream or frozen custard outside or watching the sunset melt into the shimmering lake, the taste of sweet corn slathered in butter and salt, the smell and flavor of grilling steaks, burgers, and hotdogs, picnics, gardens, and blue patches of sky peeking through a canopy of mellowed green oak or wispy weeping willow leaves. All this extraordinary stuff that I so easily can overlook and under appreciate, and in my ignorance deem ordinary. This is beauty. This is sublime. This is summer. Will you seize its joy?
