The Best of Summer

In preparing for the big things, don’t miss the joy in the ordinary.

“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.” -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

What are you most looking forward to this season of summer?

To stir some opening conversation in our virtual meetings over the last several weeks, I’ve been asking this question of our online audiences.

Responses include travel to Europe, beach vacations, time away from work, weekends on the lake, and kids back from college. One person even shared excitement around celebrating their parents’ 70th wedding anniversary!

Big moments worthy of celebrating, indeed.

And yet, think back on your most meaningful memories as a kid during the summer. What are the memories that dance into living color for you?

I remember lazy mornings eating Raisin Bran before racing outside to play wiffle ball. I remember bike rides with friends and popsicles on the front steps. I recall the euphoric excitement of being invited to a friend’s house with a pool and afterwards the immense chill of entering the house when the AC made contact with my wet suit. The simple pleasure of helping my dad barbeque, eating outside on paper plates and catching fireflies after dinner while listening to the baseball game.

And I remember playing Monopoly with my siblings, arguing about rules, crying when I landed on Boardwalk, and mandatory baths before going to bed in soft pajamas, slightly sunburned and totally exhausted.

That was the best of my summers as a kid.

Maslow reminds us that “The sacred is in the ordinary. It is to be found in one’s daily life, in one’s neighbors, friends, and family, in one’s own backyard. To be looking elsewhere for miracles is to me a sure sign of ignorance that everything is miraculous.”

My friends, as we step into this season of summer and further down the path through life, recognize the gift of the ordinary.

Yes, savor the beach trips and family parties. Certainly, enjoy the lake house and trip to Europe.

Just make sure in all the planning and packing and waiting for the big moments, not to miss out on the ordinary, sacred moments taking place right now. It might be the stuff you look back on as the very best of your summer, too.

This is your day. Live Inspired

PS: Had Mom and Dad over for dinner last week. Kids running around. Fireflies beginning to fill the evening sky. Lots going on in all of our lives. But after dinner, Beth brought Dad a single scoop of chocolate ice cream topped with a chocolate cookie. The smile on his face says it all. Welcome to summer, my friends!