It’s summertime. Even though I’m not a fan of the heat, I love summer.
Summer means picnics, inflatable kiddy pools, neighborhood kids playing in my backyard, Popsicles, and fresh watermelon.
When I think of summer, I think about long walks in the sunshine, feet in the grass, and nature all around.
It’s a slower time of year. A time when we can take it slow and just enjoy the beauty of summer, family, and friends.
I love the green trees, glassy lakes, and soft grass. Summer means fresh air and sunshine.
But today, I look out my window and see skyscrapers, concrete buildings, and busy highways. There is no green grass to walk barefoot through, no big tress to picnic under. It makes me miss my beautiful willow trees that flanked my backyard.
A few weeks ago we packed up our house and sent most of it’s contents ahead to Alaska, where we’ll be moving this fall, and are spending the summer in DC as my husband completes a fellowship here.
We have a little apartment with a balcony and not an inch of grass anywhere in or around the building. No big backyard to frolic in. No trees to sit under and eat popcicles.
We walk a half a mile to get to the closest park.
It’s not bad though, there’s so much to do and we’ve been doing a LOT.
We go to at least two museums a week, and we’ve been scouting out new and awesome places, like Gravelly park where we can see the airplanes land at Reagan National Airport. Or the National Building Museum where my kids can build and explore until their heart’s content.
Each morning we wake up with no plans, no commitments, and we get to decide what we will do that day. Maybe it’s a good day to play in the pool. Maybe we’ll walk to the library and find some new books. Maybe we head deeper into the city and explore the National Museum of American History. Maybe it’s just a good day to stay in and play LEGO.
We get to decide.
We get to take it slow.
This year is one of the most stressful years ever for my little family. My husband was gone for a few months this spring so I was solo parenting for a while. We packed and moved here as soon as he got home. We’re only here in DC for the summer, then we are trekking across North America in an RV to get to our new home in Alaska.
It’s a lot for one year.
There’s a lot to do to.
And life is messy right now.
Even though it’s messy and life is weird, I want to look back at this time with fondness. I want to remember how great the adventure was and all the amazing things we got to experience.
I want to focus on the good and slow down so that it doesn’t all go by so fast. I don’t want to miss our time here buried behind my computer planning for our future adventures and stressing out over all the changes.
I want to leave DC with great memories in our hearts. I want to look back and remember our road trip with happiness and adventure.
In order to do that, I can’t rush through. I can’t just focus on the never ending to-do list.
I will not rush this time of my life.
I want to slow down, soak it all in and relish in the peace and happiness of that moment. Whatever that moment might be.
This has been something I’ve been practicing in varying intensities for several years now.
I’ve noticed that my life is always more fulfilling when I take the time to slow down and focus on the good.
So many times life just passes us by without us really noticing all the great things in our lives. We let our to do lists and commitments to dictate our lives. We let the everyday “have tos” get in the way of noticing the beauty.
We don’t “stop to smell the roses”.
I don’t want to live a life where I’m too busy working and doing for my family that I miss my life.
So here’s to a messy, chaotic, beautiful, and slow summer!
This post is part of my friend, Shawn’s Savoring a Slow Day book tour. Shawn is the inspiring voice behind The Abundant Mama Project. She helps mothers all over the world build beautiful, abundant lives with their children. She’s amazing.
If you want to live a more abundant life, where you can slow down and focus on the beauty of your life, then check out her book. Shawn’s comforting words can change your life!
Get your own digital or hard copy of The Abundant Mama’s Guide to Savoring Slow by clicking the picture below. I promise you will not be disappointed.
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