summer of love 2017 — week 9

Here we are. Summer of Love week 9. Near the end. At least, for this year. Summer is a funny thing. Spring brings with it anticipation for long days, laughter, float-down-a-river kind of feelings. The ideal summer days.

But summer with our kids is real. It can be prickly. Hot. Filled with cranky attitudes even in the most beautiful places.

Because it turns out that the days of summer are days, just like in any other season. We may be in a beautiful space, but our attention is pulled by the meals and transitions and drop-offs and pick-ups and chores…and…and all of that normal day-to-day stuff. And that makes us prickly, hot and cranky. (Oh, you thought I meant the kids were cranky? No, I was talking about us.)

And the middle of August tends to be the time we accelerate into fall. The normal gets compounded by the sports forms to fill out, the band instruments to rent, the boxes of 24 crayons to buy.

Which means we need to stop. Fully.

Sometime in the next week when you are with your child, pause. It may happen mid-walk, mid-bite or midnight star gazing. In some place bring the moment to a full stop. Turn to your child, and tell them. Tell them how fun this is, or how funny they are. Tell them how this moment is the best moment of your day—because you are sharing it with them. Tell them how it fills your heart, because they are here (wherever here is) with you.

Full hearts stop time. They create the space for us to savor. To stretch feelings. That’s what we long for in summer.

Light.

Laughter.

Joy.

It’s there. In nearly every tiny moment. The ideal in the midst of everyday real. The magic of summer. We just need to remember to take a moment to see it.

 

xoxo.

I’d love to hear about your full stop. Come talk about it on our facebook page.

Want to (re)read weeks 1-8? Week 1 was Doing Just One Thing, Week 2 we practiced Seeing the Invisible Good, and week 3 we got personal, it was All About You. week 4? It’s been a favorite #feelingsbeforefacts. And week 5? a reminder to breathe. Week 6? Seeing the Negative. And week 7? Your Turn to Talk. week 8? x-ray vision.

Feel like a friend would love the summer of love? Even with one week left, it’s never too late! send them right here to sign up!

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