celebrate summer

The sweetness of spring soon slips from our memory as summer makes an entrance. She comes with a fanfare of color and warmth and demands our attention, taking center stage upon the Earth, like a carnival queen. She is resplendent and ready to inspire with a riot of hues at her fingertips.

Sometimes summer takes a softer approach, gradually filtering into view, curling golden rays of light between the drapes to tempt us out of our beds and to our feet. Her warmth is energizing as it seeps into the skin, easing weary bones and soothing aching ligaments, illuminating the core and easing heartache. Summer is an elixir which promises youth and vitality if you will only step into the light.

a riot of color

The land, too, benefits from the touch of summer, responding in kind to reveal an inner glow. Like a child cajoled and bathed in love, it visibly brightens, reaching upward for more. It instinctively knows that the season is here to nurture and entertain. The flowers, which have been waiting for her presence, open up and drink in her affection. Their petals extend outward to reveal the beating heart of the bloom, and the scent that sings from each flower head draws new admirers. Gossamer-winged butterflies dance to the tune of summer, and rejoice at her return, for it is beneath the sun that they finally find succor. Bees, too, enjoy the vibrant seasonal energy, their wings vibrating as they go about their business, drawn by the beauty of each newly opened bloom and the nectar that hides within. Trees seem to stand ever taller, enjoying their moment in the spotlight. A symbol of strength and power, it is their time to flourish. And so the mutual adoration goes on, as summer blends with the environment in her unique way.

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”

John Lubbock

Remember, this is the vacation season. Whether you’re going away to sunnier climes or treating yourself to a staycation, it’s important to stop, take some time out for yourself, and let the vitality of your surroundings fill you up with joy. Self-pampering may not come naturally, but it’s vital to your well-being, and this is the perfect point of the year to focus on you. Take your cue from wildlife and use this time to have fun and restore body and soul.

It is at the pinnacle of the year that peace is abundant. Even in the heaviest heat, a stillness can be found, for while the warmth may have weight which presses down upon your brow, it has a lesson too. It urges you to linger, to give in to the moment, and cease rushing, saying: “Relax, measure your breath while you