Summer is here; it means several things, whether you love or detest it. It is a time of vacation and taking a break, yet also months of being busy. It is a time to look forward to but also dislike because of the heat. It is when people are very active but struggle to do so in the sun and humidity.
What a weird season.
As children, we looked forward to summer. There was no homework, we fulfilled our dream of sleeping in each day, and time stood still as we played with our pets, rode our bikes, watched television, and went on a vacation. It was an adult vacation day from work, but for months. Some children will continue this annual tradition and enjoy sports or camps this season.
As an adult, however, every summer, I spend mental effort figuring out how to relax, be active, and stay cool, if not all at once, then separately. There is a slight chaos with school being out, and everything is out of routine, including the traffic patterns.
My favorite part of the season is the end, especially as I run across the summer finish line after the third consecutive week of triple-digit temperatures. I like the excitement of leaves starting to fall and twirling downward from a tree-lined road as I ride in the car. I like dreaming of chilly fall days with that sweater I am patiently waiting to pull out of the closet to wear. Everything returns to normal as school resumes, and the world seems to fall into place and order.
At some point in this cyclical process, it becomes evident that the seasons imitate life: there are long seasons of never-ending drought or cold during summer and winter and short seasons of renewal and comfort with spring and fall. The seasons almost so perfectly reflect life that you nearly cannot get mad about the summers and winters.
Even if it is not your favorite time of the year (and certainly not mine), it is like any other season in life. You must do your best to make it through and remind yourself to thrive instead of survive. You get past this more challenging or less favorable time and look forward to a better time.
I advise you not to let summer slip past you as you try to get through the heat and then realize that summertime is ending and that you did not make the most of it. Embrace the weirdness that is summer, or at least attempt to live in harmony with it...or at least tolerate it with a refreshed outlook.
Do summer anyway. Go to a pool party when you would not typically do so, try sitting on your patio one evening, or go camping. Sit in the air conditioning and do a game night with your family. Even if you do not like summer, you get to summer with friends or family. You get to summer and live life. This is no time to sit this season out or to bench yourself. If the worst-case scenario is that this is not your favorite time, you are incredibly blessed. If you love summer, you are exceptionally fortunate. We are not dragging our feet into the heat. We are marching with excitement for life and its opportunities into this next season of life. We are making the most out of summer.
We need the changing of the seasons, including the seasons that are not our favorites, to keep us on a good path. When life is perfect, we are far from being so. The less favorable things in life shape us into better people. Many people may want something other than summer (or different seasons), but it is what we need. Summer is the hero we did not know we needed. It is not the hero we want but the hero who reminds us to find ways to persevere when things are not ideal. It is good for us; it is the broccoli of the year. This weird, hot season is a gift, but that is just my view.