Maybe it’s part of getting older, but I seem to be extra sentimental these days. And summertime, well, it seems to be the perfect season to reflect on old memories and create new ones, too.
Let me explain.
I love our porch. LOVE it. But, I’ve got to say, our front porch isn’t just any old porch. It’s the porch I dreamed of since I was a little girl.
Growing up in Shabbona, my Dad and I used to sit on our front porch when thunderstorms would roll through. There were thunder booms that shook the very chairs we sat on. Lightning flashes so bright the street lights turned off.
And when I was very young, I’d sit, fascinated, safe in his arms sitting on his lap. By seven or eight, I bravely promoted myself to the brick step alongside his chair. And then, several more years passed. I remember the first time I felt brave enough to weather the storms sitting on the chair across the step from him.
It’s one of my fondest childhood memories.
So many years later, when my husband and I added a covered porch to our home, it was more than just a covered place to sit. To me, our front porch stands for family, for foundation, for protection.
Last week I was sitting on our front porch, rocking in one of our green metal rocking chairs and blowing bubbles. Our youngest kids were having an absolute blast. For more than two hours, they chased bubbles, giggling insanely the entire time.
I blew bubbles until I was lightheaded and dizzy. And then, I blew more bubbles.
Children’s laughter. Bubbles. Simple moments of summertime. You don’t have to sit on my front porch to partake in these summertime treasures.
Take a look around. It’s simple living at its finest and it’s here in our everyday moments.
See it over there, in town? It’s a sibling duo with the card table and an Igloo cooler. Oh, yes, they’re an enterprising pair, selling lemonade at the corner.
I bet you can make their day by stopping by to purchase a glass of their made-from-a-mix lemonade. The smiles on their faces when you drop the coins into their money jar will lift anyone’s spirits.
How about the simplicity of freshly sliced watermelon cut outside on the picnic table? Back in the day, we would have had a contest to spit the seeds out, but it’s not a worry anymore. All the more reason to soak in the juice and sweetness of summertime fruit!
Family picnics, fishing at the lake. Long walks after dinnertime. Dipping toes in the pool. Ice cream cones. Chasing fireflies. County fairs and brewing sun tea.
The nostalgia of summertime is all around us. Don’t let summer pass you by without noticing when these little bits of the good life float by.
This is the good stuff in life. Soak it in.
It’s summertime. Or as Kenny Chesney says, “It’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a sip of wine … it’s summertime!”