Summer is here.
By all accounts, that means “I’m Busy.”
I usually start calendaring the summer over Christmas break, and this year was no exception. Plans were presented and made, and over the past six months the calendar has been filling up.
But about a month ago I had this really neat experience. We had an unusually busy spring (more like summer, with stuff going on Every.Day. for about three months). As I contemplated the coming summer, I had this feeling in my heart – a memory – of the long boring summer days that were so glorious in my own childhood. And it gave me courage. And I knew summer had to be slow this year.
And as the month has progressed, that feeling has stayed with me. I take courage from it. I know what I have to do. I have to keep the summer slow and intentional. We still have a lot of commitments that we’ve made. But I’m clearing as many of them as I can. I decided not to sign the kids up for baseball (instead we played spring ball). I decided not to sign up for art class. I decided not to sign up Chinese tutoring. I even decided to cut piano lessons to once every other week.
And when people ask “what are you doing on . . . ” I have answered “we’re busy.”
But I leave out the part where we’re busy at home reading good books and drinking lemonade and drawing with sidewalk chalk on the driveway.
I’m committed to this. I feel directed by the spirit to take this step – to protect our summer from the pull of anything else going on.
I haven’t been this excited for summer in years!