Wearing dress pants to work today solidified it: summer is over. The end for you may have been Labor Day, your first day without kids at home, the last ‘hot’ one, or even your last boat ride. For me, though, it was the pants today, topped with the jean jacket even thought I had a sweater and button-up on underneath. As I made my way to my vehicle the dew tickled my ankles beneath the pants. My heels just covered the crease between pant and skin, so I was without hose. It reminded me of putting my feet in the ocean this summer. Ice cold at first, but warmer the further you walked out to sea. Lake Michigan was the same, as the kids seemed to have no problem getting ‘used’ to each time we caught a wave. The one memorable moment for me this summer was watching a sunset. Completely. For the very first time. In all my year, I never recall sitting still long enough to watch a sun set. This summer, I saw four. Two were in Aruba and two in Manistee. I vow to watch more this year, and next summer, as it truly made me feel complete in living my day.
I am one who rarely slows down. Teaching, writing, mothering…I love being on the go! If I do pause, it is to eat and watch bad TV, or Breaking Bad, which is literally bad TV, but not bad content like I enjoy. Mindless TV suits me. It’s a break from the daily teaching where I make so many split decisions each day! It is nice not to have to decide anything and zone out for a moment. What was much better this summer were the mindless sunsets. In Aruba, my husband, family, and I were able to just relax and discuss our day as the sun fell into the ocean. This was on my birthday and it was unforgettable. The next evening my husband and I did the same. Mindless, yes, but thought provoking. How much more meaning can we attach to our day if we sit together the last two hours and revisit what we did, reflect on what we learned, and just enjoy each other’s company?
On Lake Michigan, in Manistee, people start flocking to the beach as soon as their campfire dinner is over. They take chairs, drinks, a friend. My family and I sat together, twice, and just watched. It was gorgeous. We were a part of something bigger than ‘camping.’ When I reflect now, we rarely set down together and watch anything. We try to, but it’s tough. Not everyone agrees on movies, and not everyone can sit still for two hours. Me included! Dinner seems to be the only time we pause with one another. This year I vow for more pauses. More sunsets. Take the time to reflect on your day, aloud, alone, or in front of the sun. It will allow you peace with what you accomplished, and joy at what is yet to come.