Letter from the editor
If you’re like me, and consider summer to be Memorial Day to Labor Day, we are right at the halfway point. What have you done so far? What is on your summer bucket list or must do list?
The weeks seem to fly by faster in the summer than any other time during the year. We get 12 weeks to soak up the sun, sand, and surf. There are so many celebrations and entertainment opportunities! We want our kids, spouses and significant others to have the perfect summer experience, our homes to look beautiful and our businesses to flourish. The only problem is that even with the longer days, there are still not enough hours in the day. This is the point in the summer that I begin to panic.
The retail industry only fuels my anxiety. I decided to go shopping for a new bathing suit last week. Apparently that ship has sailed. There were approximately three bathing suits left in the store, all on clearance. Instead, Back to School items were plentiful and showcased everywhere. My heart sunk, did I miss something? Is it really the end of summer already? No, no, it is not.
I still have time to make special memories or do something really memorable, like yoga on a paddleboard. Summer may be half way through, but that means it is far from over.
For me, it starts with making a plan. Every family is different. Decide what experiences are most important to you and your family. I’m not much of a list person, but even if you simply create a mental list of some things that would make your summer a stand out.
One friend of mine, with a large family, decided Thursdays would be family dinner on the beach night. Sometimes it was take out and sometimes it was leftovers, but the best part was what followed once they all got on the beach together: whiffle ball games, kite flying, sand sculptures and more! She ended up creating a photo book, overflowing with special moments captured on those Thursday evenings. Last weeks beach dinner they each dressed in all white and had a photographer come and take family photos that will then used for holiday cards and a portrait to hang over their mantle.
I know what your thinking, because I’m thinking it too. In my family, a big fight would erupt and ketchup would end up on the white clothes. Well, i honestly believe the value is in the trying. So many times my daughters will say to me “Remember when we did this or that..” It could have had what I considered a disastrous outcome, yet they will either think it was funny or “so us.” When I went paddleboarding with my daughter, her favorite part was always when I fell in! We tend to put so much pressure on ourselves to make it perfect or at least seem perfect. But the truth is perfect is an illusion and we are all really just doing the best we can with what we got.
Many of the best parts of summer are still to come. Sunflowers come into full bloom and are glorious in August. And because Labor Day is looming ahead, each day becomes a little more precious. Enjoy them, soak them up and remember we are only midsummer with lots of spectacular days ahead.
Peace
& Love,
Cindy
