Hello, Summer!

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author, fun, Gratitude, relaxation, school's out, summer, summer events, summer plans, summer vacation, Writing

It’s been fun to see kids in my neighborhood so excited to plunge into summer vacation

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

now that school’s out. I’m sure there were moments of sadness as they signed each other’s yearbooks and promised to stay in touch, but I doubt a single one wanted to linger a moment past that final bell.

Adults with year-round jobs don’t have quite that prospect of freedom, but even so, I still experience that surge of joy when summer officially arrives. There’s so much I look forward to this year: kayaking on Lake Natoma, planning a dream vacation to Japan, and finding a bit of shade to catch up with my books-to-read pile. Then there’s concerts in the park, ice cream, watermelon, family reunions, and fireworks on Independence Day. Bliss!

For the next few days I’m going to draw a deep breath or two and enjoy the advent of summer. Eventually I’ll make a list of all those things I didn’t get around to during the busy winter months, and maybe, during those long, blissful summer days, I’ll actually get around to doing them. Maybe. But I wouldn’t count on it. 🙂

 

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So much to be grateful for!

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author, Blessings, BookWriter, cleanreads, Gratitude, Historical fiction, Perspective, romance, Thanksgiving, Writing

What an incredible year. As always, there have been ups and downs, but I have to say, in many ways this has been one of my best years ever. This Thanksgiving has been a great way to think over my blessings, which I won’t list here, but trust me, it is a long list.

Does that mean there have been no hardships? No. But if there is one thing I like about growing older, it’s that it brings perspective. Once, when things were going badly, I felt that they would always continue that way. Now I see life more as a succession of rolling hills. Things go up, and they go down. And then they go up again. And then they go down again. The Romans had a saying for this: “This too shall pass.” Whether joy or sorrow, eventually it will pass.

Perspective is maybe the greatest blessing of all. It helps me appreciate the things that are important–health, family, love–and pay less attention to the things that aren’t–cobwebs, a cluttered garage, a car that needs to be smogged.

I hope that you and your loved ones enjoyed Thanksgiving, that happiness comes your way, and that you have a wonderful upcoming holiday season. And never forget the things that are truly important.