“Summers had a logic all their own and they always brought something out in me… Summer was a book of hope.”
Benjamin Alire Sáenz
“One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.”
Henry David Thoreau
As the August days flow by far too quickly than we’d like, and we start to see and feel signs of the approaching autumn we can start to focus on the fall (and — ack! — the winter) ahead of us.
If we are always looking only at the road in front of us, we miss the beauty of whatever scene we’re situated in at the present moment. While planning and preparing ourselves for the next seasons in our lives are definitely good things to do, it’s important to make sure we’re not missing out on the times that the season we’re in is giving to us, especially when it’s one as sweet as summer.
At some point in August, we may experience some angst about how quickly the summer is going, how soon fall is approaching, and then head into a mild state of panic as we think about preparing for back to school or whatever we still need or want to do in what remains of summer. This is where we need to take some deep breaths and keep surveying the deep green summer scenes surrounding us.
Summer is a season of growth that produces fruit and flowers we need to purposely pick and choose to enjoy. To savour something is to intentionally focus our attention and appreciation on the good aspects of an experience. When we take even a little time to do this, we gain a greater sense of gratitude and joy in life.
What could savouring the rest of summer look like for you? You might find it fun to give yourself an easy-does-it “Finish by the End of Summer Homework Assignment” like skip some stones in a lake, go fishing, go out for ice-cream, check out the moon and stars more closely, go on a bike ride, have a picnic, make a daisy chain, or watch the sun set.
As Regina Brett said, “To do nothing and have it count for something. To lie in the grass and count the stars. To sit on a branch and study the clouds.”
“It was sunsets that taught me that beauty sometimes only lasts for couple of moments, and it was sunrises that showed me that all it takes is patience to experience it all over again.”
A.J. Lawless
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
Anne Lamott