When I think of the first days of summer, images of a parade come to mind. As a young girl I lived in the city, small in comparison to a metropolis but there was a main thoroughfare and it would be closed off for the parade that would mark the beginning of summer.

I always met a new friend and the days looming ahead for school vacation seemed as though they were endless. So much time!

I thought of lemonade stands I’d have, hot dogs I’d eat at all the neighborhood barbeques and days filled with bike rides and the adventures that lived in my imagination just waiting to be brought to life. At night just as the street lights came on, we’d wait for the ice cream man and then hope to spy fireflies on our way home.

The neighborhood streets were safe – each one of us living next door to each other living lives that were intertwined. Peanut butter sandwiches for lunch made by someone’s mother – a group of friends all connected with like minded parents.

Today, I’m far removed from those endless days, which as it turned out were anything but endless. In my mid-sixties I long for the carefree days and I look for that feeling in my grandchildren’s eyes. I find it in fleeting moments of glee and innocence and I cherish it to be sure.

Wherever you are on this life’s journey, I hope you’ll stop to take in moments that fill your soul with summer excitement that will awaken your childhood bliss and spark your imagination. We’re never too old to let the adventures in our imagination come to life.

If you can’t go to a parade, find a summer market or even a yard sale to walk through. Make a new friend. Talk for a few moments and marvel at your similarities. You may be very different on the outside, but inside you connect in a very special way.

Get ice cream and sit somewhere pleasant while you eat. Watch kids running and playing and remember when that was you. Have a peanut butter sandwich with a loved one or friend. Sit on a blanket outside and drink lemonade. Buy something from kids selling for a fundraiser. Have fun with them for a few minutes charmed by their enthusiasm.

And when the day is done and night falls, sit outside and look for fireflies. Watch for their fairy lights in the dark and then let yourself go into the magic of the summer season.

Enjoy your beautiful life. These are the moments to cherish – the times we are in.

Happy Summer!

All my best,

Lisa