It's Summertime!

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It’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a sip of wine … It’s summertime! ~ Kenny Chesney

Isn’t there always something magic about the beginning of summer?  Remember when we were kids on those last few days of the school year, counting down until the final day?  A whole three months of no school lay ahead of us!  Playtime extraordinaire! A time to spend all day hanging out and doing whatever with our neighborhood friends.  Riding bikes, climbing trees, family trips, pool days, kick the can, drive-in movies in our PJs, impromptu baseball games, and Popsicles!

My kick-off to summertime nowadays is Memorial Day Weekend. First and foremost, this weekend is a time of gratitude for all our service members, veterans, and families, remembering loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice. It is a time to remember and honor those who represent the best of us. I thank you for your service and devotion to our country.  I can’t think of a better time to celebrate our heroes than at the start of this glorious new season!

With every season change comes a new beginning, a chance to reassess our personal journey. For me, summertime is the fresh, fun, forward-thinking season. I have always loved the warmth of summer, the sun showering me, the green landscapes... it’s probably why I have found myself in Florida in my retired years, as it really is summer almost year-round! There are just varying degrees of chilly, warm, hot, and humid—but all perfect for me.  Even though I live in ‘summer’ permanently, the season's official start is still exciting for me.

It is a chance for me to step out of old patterns and into new ones. I seem to go on longer beach walks, and now I get to cool down in the pool afterward. I want to spend more time reading or doing my drawings on the balcony, more BBQing and dining outdoors, and, as a bonus, I get to wear more shorts and flip-flops!

My meditations seem to change, too.  They feel more light and airy, like a summer breeze. They become more creative.  I notice more new ideas, pursuits, and interests flowing in and out.  I see where I have become stagnant and envision what might ripen for me in this new season.  As always, I try to let my meditations take me wherever they want, usually where I need to be, lol!

My emotions seem to reboot as well.  I have become more mellow around the lazy days of summer.  I want to soak it all in and enjoy the weather, my friends, and my family around me.  I don’t feel as rushed.  I want to linger more in my beautiful surroundings. There is much to notice as I am outside more.  Even in Florida, you can see spring transitioning into summer as the leaves on the trees and grasses become a brighter shade of green.  The blooming activity is constantly changing. Then the rain comes often and washes everything clean.

Is there something you’d always wanted to try but never did for fear of failing?  Remember that kid in you who did those crazy things during your summer break?  You took risks—some probably not so smart—but you took them anyway for the exhilaration, the thrill, and the opportunity to prove to yourself that you could do it.  

Be that kid again to find the courage to take new risks and go for it.  The kid in you didn’t agonize over the pros and cons.  Didn’t worry about what others would think.  They didn’t hold back; they just dove in.  Can you use this new summertime season as a diving board for a new adventure?  It can be as simple as a new hobby, planning an exotic trip, or even picking up a new sport.  Or as bold as starting a new business, buying a house, changing locations, jobs, or careers, and giving up what is not serving your better self. 

Our lives are the result of opening and passing through many doors during the seasons of our being. Our growth depends on our willingness to go through those doors and move into new spaces. Each new season can be a new door for all of us, so be ready when it opens for you.  Move freely into this new season and embrace all it has to offer.  But most importantly, choose to have fun!  It’s summertime, after all! 

What is blooming for you in this new season?

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