Sunshine is streaming through the fingerprints on my front door and spilling all over the streaky floor. The pool in the backyard is full of rain water, and the swings are stirring gently with the late August breeze that kindles memories of campfires and light sweaters.
Summer’s slowly sifting away bit by bit.
Two weeks ago I could hardly wait for it. For school and routine and structure and those few precious hours I can snatch between naptime and snacktime to work and enjoy the quiet.
But last night we stayed out a bit late and this morning the forecast is for mostly sunny and I wish more than I longed for routine that I could buckle them all into that van with its peeling paint and slip away on some hiking trail and emerge at a lakeside to dig our toes into the only sand they’ve seen all summer.
Why is it the longing never comes until I realize it’s over? Why is it that I can’t ever seem to wrap my mind and heart around the slow pace and embrace it for all it’s worth because it’s so simple?
Why do I let activities and camps and far too many other good things crowd out all my days that could be spent in the woods or by the pool or on the back deck with popsicles and the water hose?
Why do I let tantrums and whining and frustrations over lost library books dampen my spirit so much that I forget how much I enjoy just having them all home and under my roof?
I don’t want to forget how much we need each summer. How much we need lazy days and pajama days and ice cream for dinner. So I’ve writing this to remind me and to remind you–
Each summer there’s beauty laced between meltdowns and fights and your mama exploding temper.
Don’t wait until summer is over to find it.
Congratulations to Sheila Beck who won the Real Food for the Real Homemaker cookbook giveaway! I hope you enjoy it and use it to make me something yummy if I ever make it over for a visit! I wish everyone could win, but since that can’t happen, you can go here to order your own copy. You’ll get a PDF file, a Kindle version, the recipe cards, and the excel spreadsheet to help you plan a frugal grocery trip and a simply homemade menu. Enjoy!
Linking up today with Gracelaced Mondays and The Better Mom.
Lindsey P. Brackett 