Summer is here! There might be a few days of school left still, but in my mind (and in the mind of most kids, I’d venture to guess), summer has arrived.
Ahhhhh…
Breathe it in! Can you smell it? Sunshine, sunscreen, chlorine, freshly mowed grass, campfires, grilled food, fruits and veggies in abundance, fresh air blowing through a house that has been stale and stagnant all winter…finally.
I look forward to summer with such earnest, and when it finally arrives, sometimes it can feel like a massive to-do list that must be crammed into every free moment in order to get what I want out of it before it disappears again. I mean, if we’re going to savor every moment, than we better plan out every moment to make sure that all the savoring gets done, right? That, my friends, is not what summer is all about. In fact, that massive to-do list might just be the ultimate summer-killer. Let’s take a step back.
What do you want out of summer? What do your kids want out of summer? What do I want out of summer? Here is my list:
Freedom.
Freedom to play, freedom to roam, freedom to explore and enjoy the world on my own agenda.
Rest.
Rest from the everyday hustle and bustle. Rest from constant activity. Rest from restrictions and schedules.
Experience the season through the senses.
Smell the flowers on the breeze, feel the dirt crumble in my hands and the sun beat down on my back, see the water flow and splash and gurgle and swell, hear the firewood crackling and the hum of lawn mowers and cicadas, taste the juicy tomatoes and sour dripping berries. 
And that’s it. That’s really it. I don’t need fancy vacations to achieve these things. A jam-packed schedule would only hinder it. The only thing I need is a reminder to slow down and enjoy.
And what do my kids want out of summer? Well, I asked them. My daughter wants me to take her to the Coralville pool. My son wants to pick all the strawberries and hold the hose to water the garden. I think we can manage that. And the rest of the time? We’re going to find out what it means to be a family with some extra time together, enjoying some freedom and rest, and savoring this season of simple, wonderful things.
