Savoring the Last Moments of Summertime
“Summertime and the living is easy” from the opera Porgy & Bess written over ninety years ago still captures the feelings of summertime in 2024. Summer is a special time of year that brings a different spirit that can be described as fun, joy, laughter, and energized by engaging in new experiences.
Summer embodies a carefree feeling allowing you to escape from the normal must-do life activities and indulge your senses in a season known for relaxation and happiness.
Everyday living can be stressful, busy, and draining, but summer brings a different vibe. You may not be able to escape real-life responsibilities, but summertime infuses your duties with a cloak of happiness that elevates some of the mundane aspects of everyday life.
Summer is a whole mood
The pace of summertime and long hours of daylight are highlights of the season. Summer gives you an opportunity to reboot your life from moving at the speed of normal everyday life—sometimes fast and furious—to a slower pace that is precious and peaceful. Slowing down the sometimes wild pace of everyday living opens the door to new experiences. It allows you to relax and take a deep breath and enjoy fun moments of laughter, refueling your soul with peace and joy.
Joy of being outside
As a young girl, my siblings and I went outside and played until the streetlights came on. Even if it was hot and sticky outside, all the kids in the neighborhood played in the streets, and sometimes shed a tear when our parents yelled for us to come home. I fondly remember running home while licking a melting grape Popsicle dripping down my leg and melting on the hot sidewalk.
I realize that parents telling children to “go outside and play” represents a different time period. Many children currently don’t get to experience that ‘playing outside’ feeling from a generation ago.
The pandemic reminded us that being outside is a treasurable feeling. Now, it’s as if ‘being outside’ has a higher purpose. That’s the wisdom of summer. It teaches us to be fully awake, engaged, and open to everything around us. It’s about being outside, whether on populated streets, quiet neighborhoods, or the park.
Hot fun in the summertime
Summer is the perfect time to go outside. Why? Think of the fun outings: going to the beach and feeling the sand between your tools, going camping, or getting wet at a water park. Indulge your taste for summer food delights: grapes, cherries, peaches, and watermelon. Going to an ice cream parlor and sitting outside while licking the ice cream cone is a relaxing feeling which can be felt while engaging in other outdoor summer activities.
Gulp lemonade and sweet tea. More fun: see an outdoor concert or enjoy summer-reading books.
Try new or bold summer things: take an early morning or late evening walk, swim in the waves, eat outdoors, and sleep under the stars.
Long summer days
Seasonally, time is a summer bonus. Long hours of daylight mean more time to engage in summer fun. Some people get to take advantage by having later dinners and going to bed a few hours past their normal bedtime. If you can sleep late, you can enjoy your walk-up stretch with the sun streaming through your windows.
Summer can move fast or slow. Some summer activities are busy such as youth sports leagues which play during the summer. Parents often drive their children from park to park to participate in games. There’s nothing like a summer picnic; some people have barbeques that begin early in the day and end late into the evening.
There’s the flip side of enjoying summer because it also moves with a slower rhythm which can be described as slow and sluggish. Feel free to bask in the sunshine while lying in a hammock, or binge on a movie series without thinking about time. Or do nothing—just relax and be still.
Summer slipping into fall
A new season is coming on the heels of summer. As summer days dwindle, it's a reminder that fall is on the horizon. When evening comes faster and it gets dark earlier, you know that fall is on the way.
Everyone has their favorite season. While you can’t escape from the new season, you can embrace the upcoming season with a new or different perspective. Whether you are looking forward to autumn or would prefer summer to stay a little longer, you can prepare for the fall.
Another summer bonus is you can take some of it with you. Summer is a state of mind—a whole mood. Embrace the fall by bringing your summer spirit with you. If you’re spontaneous in the summer, be spontaneous in the fall. You can still enjoy ice cream and host fall picnics.
Fall is around the corner and you’ll know it when it arrives. Shorter days, the cool night breeze, and leaves on trees changing colors. These changes are a reminder to prepare for the new season.
Robin Allen is a multi-published author of women’s fiction, romance and YA novels: It Starts With A Promise: A Novel; It’s Complicated: A Novel; The Best Thing Yet; If I Were Your Woman; Breeze and The Starters: Unexpected. As a freelance writer, she have written 40+ articles for national publications, including Hope magazine, Digital Flourish, Today’s Black Woman, Atlanta Woman, Black Elegance and Diversity Careers. www.robinallenbooks.com