If wintertime for me is a time of bundling up and retreating inward, both physically and psychologically, summertime is the time of openness and expansion.
Dreams that have long lain dormant can come to life in summer, finally planted on soft, warm soil. I’ve noticed that often as many of us progress through life, we begin to leave some of the fun and playfulness along the path of our many obligations, daily work and unexpected stresses.
A while ago a friend suggested to me that I needed to do more than just rest when I wasn’t working. She knew some of the responsibilities I was carrying and my tendency to take on a little too much. She felt I needed to deliberately have fun. She explained that this was not really an option, but a necessity. When I was younger I very much enjoyed excitement and adventure, but as I got older personality was focusing more on the long list of things I could never get through in a day, a week, a month or even a year.
I am amazed when I ask people what gives them joy, what do they do just for fun, what makes them feel most alive, and we sit out the next few seconds in an awkward silence before they tell me, “I have no idea.” They have literally forgotten what makes them happy and can’t name exactly why they’re feeling blah today.
Summer to me is a time for picnics, swim-fests, hiking and camping parties. It’s a time for watching things grow in the hot, bright sun and visions of beauty in the evenings over dinner with friends. It’s freedom from the rhythms of school and structure, a time to unwind and look around. And summer is embracing that vibrant life that has a way of lifting you out of the doldrums of winter and teaching you to remember that the possibilities of this world can be endless.