REFLECTIONS
S
ummer is the traditional time of year where things slow down. We spend the long, dark, cold months of winter planning family reunions and vacations to national parks, to see our parents or to travel abroad during the short, beautiful months of summer. We have spontaneous gatherings with friends and neighbors — those we see while we mow our lawns, who stop by on their bikes or who drop in unexpectedly while out walking their dog. A casual conversation in the front yard with a neighbor or two can quickly evolve into an unplanned barbecue potluck. Somebody fires up their grill and everybody runs home to bring back their families and whatever they were planning to put on their own grill that evening for dinner and, suddenly, it’s a party. But this year, the only tradition being kept up is that things have slowed down. WAY down. We may have spent the long, dark, cold months of winter planning those reunions and
172| |July/august JULY/AUGUST 2020 2020
The unexpected gifts of this summer
BY DAYNA DEL VAL
vacations, but they have, by and large, all been cancelled or delayed in hopes of being able to gather next summer. My husband and I were planning to take my mom and her partner to Ireland in August — that trip is almost certainly not happening. We were planning to attend a large family reunion in July — that was cancelled in March because we have too many relatives who fall into the high-risk categories to attempt to gather together. We have seen our neighbors and talked from safe distances, either between our yards or from across the street, but we haven’t had any spontaneous gatherings. We’ve all gotten very adept at waving through picture windows and greeting people loudly from the sidewalk as we stroll past their houses. So, how are you spending this unusual summer? Assuming you and those you love are healthy and employed (all that really matters, ultimately), what are you doing to
honor this weird gift of a truly slowed-down period of time during the best months of our calendar? Are you spending more time in your yard and gardens? Are you going for longer bike rides and walks? Are you pursuing your favorite or new hobbies? Are you taking time every day to appreciate the weather, the incredible amount of daylight hours, the lush, riotous colors of summer and more? Are you remembering to be grateful for what you do have versus what you are missing? Every year for as long as I can remember, we have gotten to September and said, “Where did the summer go?!?!” Well, we won’t likely say that this fall. This summer, we have the opportunity to embrace the languid nature of these long days and warm nights, and to truly slow down and appreciate a different pace and season. Pay attention and enjoy; it’s unlikely we’ll ever have this time again. INSPIREDHOMEMAGAZINE.COM