Sunny Afternoons

Summer days are meant to be spent outdoors.  Whether you're at the park, in your backyard, playing on a beach, or splashing in the pool, there's nothing quite like it.  The smells, the breeze, the warmth of the sun on your skin - it all adds up to something magical. 

I think as kids, my brother and I literally spent every minute we could outside.  We played in the yard, rode bikes, spent countless days at the pool, and all with seemingly boundless energy.  Somehow, summer days spent outside equaled freedom.  Not just a freedom from school, but a kind of carefree feeling that you couldn't help but allow to envelop you. 

I miss that.  I miss those days of childhood lightheartedness, before responsibility became such a bit part of my life, before the stress that as an adult, you simply can't escape.  Sure, I still spend time outside - there is nothing better than floating around the pool with a glass of ice water and a good book.  But, somehow it's different now that I'm an adult.  Even in a "relaxed state", my mind is always going, maybe a little slower, but yes, still going.  I'm thinking about what I could be doing with the time that I'm wasting in the pool, worrying about something that I've forgotten to do, or making endless mental lists.  I just can't tune out the way I did as a child!

I watched Jack and Molly play in the pool today.  Jack, as he repeatedly jumped into the deep end, swam to the side, then jumped right back in.  So majestic is the discovery of the cannon ball to a 5 year old!  Molly, splashing around the shallow safety of the steps, giggling as she blew bubbles in the water, lifting her head slowly and inhaling as the smell of roses swept past us.  I realized that to them, life was as big as the pool for those precious minutes.  They didn't have a care in the world.  Nap time was a distant thought, school had long been forgotten, and all that mattered was the fact that we were playing, enjoying the pool and the sunshine together.

As I find myself at the beginning of yet another summer, I am excited by the prospect of getting to spend more days just like we did today.  Sure, there will be days when we simply can't - life will get in the way - but every chance we get, I guarantee we'll be doing what we can to enjoy all that a summer day has to offer!