There are times when my senses immediately put me in a summer mindset. The sound of water lapping up on the shore or a family restaurant during the breakfast rush; the taste of my favorite flavor of ice cream or a juicy burger fresh off the grill; and the smell of coconut sun screen or smoke from a roaring campfire. Those are based on things I associate with summer—water, restaurants in popular locations, great food, the beach and camping.
One early morning last week I was walking past freshly laid mulch and was instantly reminded of a beautiful campground in the Okanagan Valley where we holidayed many times growing up. The aroma helped me recapture memories of beach days, board games around the picnic table, tossing logs onto campfires, trips to the Tastee-Freez after picking up groceries, and pails full of fresh cherries right off the tree. All that from a simple whiff of something aromatic in the great outdoors.
It's odd really, come to think of it. Those experiences typically made up a short vacation period, or days here and there. The majority of the summer is, in many ways, remarkably similar to the rest of the year. But there's just something about those summer moments that heighten the senses and indeed…the memories.
Since most of the committees and organizations I volunteer with don't meet in July and August, I typically approach these two months with rather grandiose ideas. I have free evenings so…oh, the things I will get done! Yes, there is still the job each day but without some of the extras going on I anticipate summer with the thought that I am going to have time to do so much. Projects awaiting my attention are now the priority. It's going to be so good to complete it all.
I'm halfway through those two aspirational months so it's fair to ask the question--how are things going? To be honest, not well at all. Granted, our summer didn't begin the way we expected. Nonetheless, I have been thinking about that list of projects and looking to the month ahead and I get…tired. Too much has yet to be done and I don't know where the hours, let alone the energy, is going to come from.
I was comparing notes with someone who, like me, hasn't worked on what he hoped before we start meeting again in September. I valiantly declared I still wanted to tackle it in August. He was far more realistic—and honest—indicating he likely wouldn't do it in the coming weeks either. I will admit, same with me.
There are too many other things I want to do--wonderful things—things I can only do in the summer so why wouldn't I do those instead?
We should focus on taking time to soak in all the good stuff. We need to give ourselves permission to sit outside and listen to the birds, to dip our toes in the lake, to take a nap in a lawn chair, or enjoy an unhurried visit on the deck. Life will be better when we do.
Of course not everyone can approach summer like that. Work and life for many gets extra busy during the summer months. It is their bread and butter and there isn't a thought to sit, dip, nap or visit. Their opportunity comes at another time of the year hopefully, when they can take their moments. But the important thing is that at some point we take time to do just that. Too many people have bought into a mindset that they need to be on the go all the time. But in the process of doing so much they are missing out on so much more.
Don’t let it slip away without appreciating all that summer offers. Or autumn or winter or spring for that matter. When you can, and where you can, give a gift to yourself and be reminded that our bodies need rest, our minds need downtime and our souls need quiet. Whether you do that from a beach chair feeling the breeze on your face or on a ski lift inhaling fresh mountain air, be sure to embrace the experience.
Take a deep breath and let the aromas stir the imagination. Then, and this is the important step, give yourself time to take it all in. That’s my outlook.
