Summertime
It is Summertime!
This coming Sunday, June 20th, makes it official: summertime has arrived! There is something about summer that has always stirred my spirit in a good way.
When I was a youngster, summer meant freedom. School was out for three wonderful months, shoes were not necessary, and going without a shirt was just fine. Exploring, fishing, swimming, bike riding were activities that filled the day. Playing outside till after dark, waiting for the air to cool inside the unairconditioned house was an everyday habit. Summer was fun!
Living in Louisiana means we get a lot of summer. We have had 90-plus degree temperatures for weeks even before summer officially begins.
For me, life feels different in the summertime. Schedules are less fixed and more fluid. Summer winks at you that it is OK to slip away for a day, or even several days, to claim some down-time or maybe take a trip or just spend time catching up on fun to do chores around the house.
Writer Ann Lamott says that almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes…including you. Summer invites one to slow down and enjoy days of easy living. It is a lazy time without any judgment. Backyard cookouts, 4th of July fireworks, succulent tomatoes, watermelon, sweet corn, cool drinks give summer its distinctive flavor. I hope you enjoy a wonderful summer all the way to Labor Day, which, in my estimation, is when summer ends. I think it is almost criminal to send children back to school before Labor Day, but then that’s just me.
This year, the beginning of summer and Father’s Day fall on the same day. It looks as though our area of the state will have to contend with significant rain, putting a damper on outdoor activities to celebrate Dad’s special day. That’s OK. We cannot control the weather, but we can decide to make the day extra-special for good old Dad despite rain.
Summer is a gift of grace. Maybe it is God’s way of telling us it is permissible to slow down, to unplug and to just be. May this 2021 Summer bring blessings of rest and renewal to your life! Happy summertime!
Chris Andrews (6/17/21)
Email: chandrews1965@gmail.com