The Summers of Life

Hello Hapi People!

It is officially August... well, it has been for a few days, but whatever. Anywho, I am finally getting into gear with school and life. This summer has been... interesting to say the least. Since summer is starting to come to a close we are talking about this special season. Whether or not it is vacation time for you, summer is a time of magic and nostalgia. I know many of my favorite childhood memories were things that happened during the summer. However, today we are talking about something more than just nostalgia.

As a child, I always felt that summer was this magical time when life froze, lemonade and ice cream flowed, and each day was a new adventure. I recall bbqs, sleepovers, neighborhood block parties, and even catching fireflies in jars during my summers growing up. Now that I am older and no longer am a child, I still want to have that childlike outlook on summer. However, the reality of adulthood has manifested, and it is easy to forget that wonder. As a child, all I wanted was to have the freedom of being a grownup. Of course now I know that freedom comes at the price of responsibility. I think it is easy to get bogged down by responsibility and forget to enjoy the summers of life. Summer can be a time of rest, adventure, hard work - those times in life where we go through a season of something unique that shapes us. I always believed that summer was a time when the world stopped, but really summer is a time of change.

Now I don't want to use the metaphor of "a summer of change", like a movie about a pubescent teen that blossoms. I am talking about recognizing every season of life and your experiences as opportunities of growth through change. I believe people are just like plants; we are meant to be planted in a particular soil, we have our own times of budding and blossoming, we have our summers of thriving - through good and bad, maybe even autumns where we wither. People can even have winters in which we hibernate and can only hold on to what we need to survive. As people, going through these seasons are how we grow as individuals. This summer has been another time of growth for me. I am happy to say that despite my own shortcomings, and even things out of my control, that it was a good summer. I am thankful that my health is improving and that I can see a clearer path to the future.

Let me know about times in your life where you have experienced "summers", a.k.a. times of growth, whether they were happy or sad times. Also, just let me know how your summer went. Did you do anything fun - did you work or go on vacation, etc.? I am curious to know. Make sure to comment and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr. And most of all...

Stay Hapi,
Amy