      Ah…summer. A season yearned for by so many children. A seeming vastness of time that allows for endless possibilities. No longer bound by the same daily schedule there are opportunities for play, running free, and making up the day as they go along.
           The idea of summer is paired with thoughts of long, lazy days; and relaxed, unhurried schedules. It has inspired all kinds of songs and is drawn upon as a backdrop for story-driven movies. Song lyrics such as: "Summertime, and the livin' is easy", or "Put your car on cruise and lay back cause this is summertime" say it all, while movies like "The Way, Way Back" or "Stand By Me" elevate summer to a driving factor in a story.      Of course often these are romanticized versions of what we want summer to be. The reality is that summer is no different than any other time of the year. People still get sick, crime still happens, work continues, relationships break up, in other words, life moves on just as it always has.
           Still, the description of summer as portrayed in the movies and sung about in music is compelling. It holds up the notions of summer being magical; as a time for adventure and discovery, as carefree and limitless.        Since many organizations take a break for the summer months it results in fewer meetings, less events, and more unscheduled time. We still have the same responsibilities needing our attention but we may be a bit more likely to give ourselves permission to take time for things that we too often put off.
           The summer solstice tells us that summer begins on a particular day. It may be noted on our calendars but not necessarily experienced any differently. Children will tell you that summer begins when school is out. Adults might say it is when they can head out on a holiday, or when the weather allows us to fully enjoy the outdoors. So which one is correct? When does summer truly begin?
           The truth is…summer is what we make it. The ideas of long stretches of lazy days and carefree months of fewer responsibilities are just that. Ideas. Summer, regardless of when we perceive it begins, is much like any other time of the year. The week is made up of seven days, and each of those days made up of the same 24-hour clock as the previous day. Time is no different on the 8th of July than it was on the 8th of January, but our perception of that time and our approach to it seems to be different.
           Depending upon the nature of our job, summer may mean revving up to a whole new gear since we are at our busiest. Or because it's the season of weddings, reunions, parties, backyard BBQs and family gatherings, people may find themselves notching up the social obligations a bit. Because that's what summer is--not just a cyclical description of the division of the year...but of life.
           Summer is not any slower than any other time of the year but we seem to approach it differently and perhaps that is the lesson we can learn from it.    In just eight weeks we will once again ramp up the activity and find ourselves running in various directions as we treat fall as the launch pad to another season of our lives. But it doesn't need to be that way. Since summer is a time we give ourselves permission to dip our toes in the lake, take a nap in a lawn chair, or enjoy extended talks around a fire, let's take an extra moment as we do so and fully appreciate how that all feels so that we will be more willing to extend it beyond the flipping of the page on the calendar.
           Summer is more than a season--it is an approach to life. It is a way of living that puts family, friends and get-togethers first; and permits us to dream, explore and figure out how to extract the fullness of every sun-drenched moment. So let's take it all in and fully enjoy the feelings that summer brings to the surface. The feelings that remind us we weren't made to be creatures running the treadmill, but people treading on ground that makes life unhurried and limitless. That's my outlook.
