Summer. The smells, the taste, the feel of summer. Summer is definitely my favorite season and I have such fond memories of summers growing up. I remember summer as a kid, spending every minute of every day running around outside, climbing trees, digging in the dirt and going on childhood adventures. Scraped knees were a way of life. I was always collecting interesting things in jars and presenting them to my mom. I loved finding the little garter snakes and feeling them wrap around my fingers and hand. Summer seemed to last forever - in a good way.
As I watch my own kids exploring through their own summers of youth, I hope they are creating memories that they will look back on with fondness and a smile on their face.
I recently spent the afternoon at the park with some friends and we were enjoying good conversation while the kids ran around having a fantastic time. We began to talk about summers growing up and our experiences all seemed to be similar -- playing outdoors all day and only coming inside to eat. Someone mentioned how she was feeling a little sad because it felt like a chore to send her kids outside to play. After coaxing them to play outside for a time, they could then come in to play on the x-box. A chore to play outside? How could that even be possible?! What missed opportunities. As much as I love technology, it can be a big pain sometimes and it really interferes with the most important things of life. Such as, helping kids to develop an imagination and create a childhood worth remembering.
Nothing can replace the feel the rain on your face and the feel of grass between your toes. Nothing can be quite as exciting as seeing what critters can be found beneath the dirt. Nothing even compares to the sheer loveliness of a fresh picked bouquet of flowers. All these things will be missed if we sit in front of a screen all day. Missed opportunities.
The world is yours! Go explore. Get your hands dirty. Imagine and discover.
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