“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”
―John Lubbock, The Use Of Life
My childhood summers were idyllic. Unfortunately, this ruined me once I grew up and faced the Real World. Adult life does not stop for the summer.
My sister and I played daily in the pool and on our lunch “break” watched reruns of The Brady Bunch and The Andy Griffith Show. There were vacations, ice cream, cousins, friends and my bestie, Carrie. With our mom, we visited the library because books and summer belong together. Our grandparents treated us to fish and chips on Friday nights. We covered miles of territory with our roller skates and bikes.
Obviously, replicating the activities of yore is not the answer. I live a grown up life and summer is full of adult responsibilities, as is the rest of the year. Yes, beach trips, ice cream, and novels, etc. make for lovely summer vibes. Yet, what I’m grasping for here is the feeling of summer; the atmosphere of my heart. A soul rest. As a child, I knew peace, rest, safety, joy, and serenity in the summertime. I felt no guilt while eating ice cream, reading books, giggling with buddies or soaking in the sun. I had no agenda and did not measure my worth by what I accomplished.
So, if you and I were sitting around the table together, I would ask you your thoughts on this. How do you soak in the season? How do you feel summer in the midst of your responsibilities? How do you find soul rest?Continue Reading