Does anyone else feel like summer goes way too fast? I am loving walking everywhere with my grandson. We go to parks, and spray pads and pools. I love time with family from far away.
But it always ends. The days get shorter and the nights get cooler. Did I do everything I was supposed to do on summer days? Did I take full advantage? What if I missed something?
I hear a general consensus among my friends that there is a certain expectation with summer. You have to do all the summer bucket list things. And take pictures and post them (or it didn’t actually happen). You have to get a super nice tan. You have to spend time at the beach.
Camps. Boating. Family time. The list is infinite. But the weekends are finite. And they seem to disappear to things like weddings and reunions. Then a couple inevitably host bad weather. And that’s it. It’s over.
This year I am embracing all of it. Last year I made sure I had things to look forward to in the fall. But this year instead of a checklist I want to have more of a relationship with the changes of the seasons.
I want to use this summer to accomplish whatever is right and good for that day. I don’t want to mourn the loss of each Saturday. I don’t want to complain over what didn’t work out. I want to enjoy. To the fullest means possible. Because, why not?
We are connected to our earth and when we are in right relationship with her we can solve mysteries that perplex our fellowmen. The peace we can access. Our centered, balanced state. I see the change of the seasons as an example of how to be in right relationship.
Sunny summer days are magnificent. Cozy fall evenings are restful. Snowy winter days are dazzling. And hopeful spring mornings are reassuring that the brilliant process will continue on. Right relationship leads me to enjoy and appreciate it all.
I have a story about wanting things to be a certain way. Maybe even a way others would agree is ‘right’. But timing and how we approach our day are greater indicators of hopefulness than continually striving to make it work the way we want.
I have three sons. They all played soccer. We spent so many hours cheering at the sidelines of a soccer field. So. Many. Hours.
(not my boys)
One evening we sat in our camping chairs, half asleep and less than half paying attention to the game as we chatted with other parents. Our relaxation was suddenly obliterated when with looks of wonder and alarming amazement we saw our son. Our not super athletic son being put in goal.
Mind you this was still small potatoes and it didn’t really matter whether they won or lost but my mama heart wanted to go save him. He looked so small with his great big goalie gloves and that massive net behind.
I prayed for our forwards and our defense. And against their team. Just keep him from being embarrassed. My prayers were working. For minutes now he hadn’t had to do anything. Dang this mama can make miracles happen.
Actually it had been so long since he’d had to do anything that he noticed the goalie shirt he’d had thrown on him in his rush to get on the field, was backwards.
Not a big deal. Except. No. He wouldn’t. Noooo. He would. He did.
He left on his massive goalie gloves and started to turn his shirt around. Luckily play was still at the other end of the field. As the rest of the parents’ eyes were aimed at the other team’s net and they laughingly and happily cheered for their kids, my eyes were fixed with incredulity and twitching with great anticipation as my son, currently in goal, was changing his shirt.
As only a good story could go, the play changed direction and was fast approaching my son who now had the shirt the correct direction but regrettably, no better off due to the fact that it was inside out and currently stuck over his head.
At this point my sweet boy noticeably jumped. For although the shirt was over his whole face he must have been able to sense some of what was about to happen.
The rest of the crowd joined me in looking towards the goal that my son was covering. Some quietly snickered. Some tried to shout helpful suggestions, “Just take the shirt off!” “Not that way, it’s twisted!” “Why are you doing that?” someone pleadingly shrieked (that last one was me). All this happened within seconds as the play was coming upon my dear boy.
And then a breakaway. To my awe and amazement, my not-so-sporty son proceeded to make a save. With a shirt completely covering his face. And then another save. And another. Inevitably he was scored upon.
In all my hours of sitting on the sidelines that was my absolute favourite moment of all time.
But not HIS favourite memory, although he can now see the humour in it.
If he had chosen to keep the shirt as it was, it wouldn’t have been perfect but it would have kept him from getting a shirt stuck over his face while he was in goal. With the possibility of the game changing in his direction.
Is there something in your life that currently seems wrong, that you are being tempted to fixate on, when that is not the goal for this season of your life? Are you hanging on to the way it ‘should have been’? Let go.
Allow the goalie shirt to stay backwards for a time.
You can go ahead and pull it off and hope for a quick change that goes smoothly and is accomplished in good time. But what if you are supposed to be watching the play? What if you are the one to save something? Or someone? What if you need to pay attention to what is in front of you and not what you are wearing?
My hope is that these questions will strike each of you in a spectrum of rays depending on your season and your energy level. Your energy level does not define you, but you do need to pay attention to it.
Enjoy summer days. Doing all the things or none of them. Enjoying all the people or sticking to yourself. Let the expectations stay with whomever created them. Just BE in summer and allow the effects of nature to be stored in you like wells of water that you can draw from in the winter months.
Join me in a forest walk to enhance the treasures you can find in nature. Head over to my contact page to reach out and to book. Take care sweet friends.
SUNBEAM ACRES 