Gift of Summer

Winter hasn’t quite given up its hold here yet. Last week, what started out as a rain and flashes of lightening quickly transitioned to hail, then sleet, then snow. Ten inches of the white stuff fell. Our yard still looks like a winter wonderland. Enough already!

Nature is giving us little glimpses of balmier weather ahead but it’s hard for me to wait. If winter is still holding the warmth of the sun at bay where you live, too, I invite you to close your eyes and travel back in time to memories of past summers. Think back to when you were a kid. How did summer taste, sound, smell and feel?

When I close my eyes and let my mind roam back, I can still feel hot concrete on the souls of my feet and the cold shock of the water when I jumped in the swimming pool. The vibration of my bat echoes through my hands and up my arms when I smacked a softball.

I can still taste the bubblegum flavor of my favorite pink ice cream at Country Boy Dairy. A quick bike ride to the quaint little ice cream shop was always a treat. Or the cotton candy and mini-donuts at the county fair on the 4th of July.

I remember the anticipation of catching a big fish from shore or from the boat when out with Dad or finding the best deal at Crazy Days while shopping with Mom. Back then, it was the simple things that made the heart beat a little faster. Those memories still occupy a corner of my mind.

I hear marching bands and the honk of miniture clown cars while watching parades down on Main Street. I can even feel the cold rain and heaviness of a vintage, wool dress I once wore on a float during an extra special parade. The skies opened up and everyone abandoned the floats, rushing into surrounding buildings to find shelter from a summer storm.
    
What do you feel, smell, hear and taste when you close your eyes and remember summer?

We all know we will eventually reach our next seasons but sometimes it’s hard to wait. When I get antsy, I try to keep in mind the words of Ralph W. Emerson:
                                                       
                                                    Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.

We all know the longer we have to wait for something, the more we appreciate it when that something finally arrives. When the seasons of nature bring extremes, be it freezing cold or steaming hot, we often find ourselves impatient for the phase we’re in to end. Remember, it always will, just give it time.

Now try something a little different. This time when you close your eyes, let your imagination run wild. What new memories do you want to create in your next seasons? Try to let yourself feel those new experiences. Do you want to travel somewhere new? Picture yourself there. Imagine what the new foods taste like that you will try or what you will hear when you visit your destination. Will you hear the sounds of nature or the cacophony of humanity? It all depends on where you want to travel.

Immersing yourself in an experience, even if only in your mind initially, can give you the incentive to take the steps necessary to make that experience a reality.

So now, open your eyes, decide on one thing you can do today to move you towards that new experience you seek in your next season, and make it happen. Book that campsite now, before the best spots are taken. Toss out the chips in your cupboard and go buy some healthier options if you saw a healthier you in your mind’s eye. Whatever it is you want to do next summer, it can all start today.

Do the thing today that will help put you in the experience you want to live out in your next season. Be patient and know you can get there, one step and one day at a time.   

​Cheering you on,   Kim