Summer… Another Season
We are always going through different seasons and changes…seasons of nature and seasons of life and it’s interesting how they are connected and reflected in real life. Summer is another season, and we are entering it as long days and routine of the school year ends, and a long Memorial Day weekend begins. Memorial Day weekend brings thoughts of swimming and grilling out with friends and family, possibly graduations and celebrations as well. During all of these joyful celebrations, let’s also take a moment on the Monday of Memorial Day to remember why we have the holiday. As a military BRAT, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Memorial is a day to honor all of those who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice for us, our safety, our freedoms, and our country. Thank you.
With that acknowledgement, Summer is here. Summer has changed over the years as my kids have grown. From long, but exciting days of creating Summer Bucket Lists, lazy pool days, play dates, long visits with my parents, and possibly a vacation, we have transitioned to most of our kids living out of the house and working full time. No longer do we make bucket lists (although I have tried), having play dates, long visits, lazy pool days, and we are lucky if we can plan a vacation with everyone (we can’t).
If you have littles, I do suggest a little routine amongst the long unstructured days. My kids loved making a long Summer Bucket List of things and activities to check off, including bigger things we already were planning and small things like going to the library, painting, baking, playing in the sprinklers in the backyard, making smores, movie day in pj’s, or reading a book (I always added that one)! There was also the opportunity for slightly more scheduled structured activities like swim lessons, a gymnastics or dance class, or VBS.
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As my kids got older, I made adjustments as needed – based on their interests and commitments, like sports and family. One thing I implemented was going on a short “retreat” by myself. I was blessed that my parents had a lake house for a few years and once my kids weren’t all little, I would take two days in early August to rest and reset from the Summer to transition into the approaching school year. I would walk, journal, sit by the water, read, and plan for the school year. It was such a gift to rest and reset and feel refreshed to begin again. To go from the long summer days to the busy schedule and structure of school and feel more prepared for what I prayed and hoped for my kids and family for that season.
This Summer, like every year, looks slightly different because of the season of life we are in. My father-in-law is living with us and my in laws. We are his full-time caregivers for the time being and foreseeable future. He’s doing great and it is such a blessing to be able to love and care for him. It’s also a big adjustment and hard. It’s good and it’s hard. Family is our priority.
We are one of those families who will be celebrating a graduation this long weekend. We have another Senior graduating high school and the first of our kiddos to literally fly the nest to head out of state to Penn State. We have another kiddo moving to NYC for a summer internship. We have two kiddos living close by but working full time and taking classes, and one more at home working, cheer camp and planning cheer for the upcoming year, and living her best life. We have some kiddos getting their wisdom teeth out, and lots of anniversaries and birthdays over the next few months. We will be taking my father-in-law and some kiddos to Kentucky to see all of his family. We will be flying to NYC to help the kiddo move back home and help the other kiddo move into her new college dorm.
In all of this good and hard season of life, I am also trying to remember that I am also a priority. That like any mama, wife, daughter, and friend, if I don’t put my oxygen mask on first, I can’t be of help to anyone. So, I am going on a retreat – the first in a really, really long time. I have not been handling stress well, on top of menopause (mostly the hard in the good and hard!), and I knew I needed to address it. I signed up for a weeklong intensive wellness and coaching retreat in Utah in June. I have been preparing for it with coaching session, journaling, meditation, exercise, and somatic breathwork sessions.
Life is good. Life is hard. Life is a good hard. I know there is so much more good to be had and I am determined to keep looking for it and finding it. I know that in doing the work – yes, it is work – makes life so much better an ricker. The work is so worth it. So, it is a new season. I hope there is more good than hard for you too.
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