The promise of summer is deliciously slow days, with space to breathe and feel and be.
A lighter schedule makes us feel like it's "summer holidays"--a throwback to school days and a reprieve from study.
The promise of summer lends itself to hours on the dock with a good book, a nap on the swing and a dip of hot feet into cool water.
Summer promises pleasure. Warmth from the sun I crave through winter. Freedom and flip-flops on brightly polished toes.
Ponytails and cut-offs with no need for makeup and jewellery.
Summer promises the throwing off of extra layers. Of clothing, yes. But also of shoulds and shouldn'ts, to-do lists, heaviness, stiffness, and the constant call of work.
Summer says "Be light. Be free. Do less."
It asks us to spend more time outside, to be dazzled by the sunset and the full moon. To feel the water caressing our shoulders as we float on the lake.
To listen to the waves lapping on shore. To hear the frogs sing their throaty lullaby.
To really become aware of the wonders around us--to take the time to notice.
To be young and carefree again. Leaving the rules and the stress behind.
Summer asks us to break from from the prison, the bonds that hold us in place. And to float in a sea of discovery.
I want to live in summer always.