It feels like summer

Every season has a feeling, or energy. Winter is a season of comfort, relaxation and rest. Spring is a season of new beginnings, growth and movement. Summer is a season of high activity, warmth and excitement. Autumn is a season for coziness, change and renewal.

They each have their own special energy and feeling that are evoked during this time. For people who do not experience all 4 seasons, they might feel these changes more subtly and the difference may not be as big.

The season of summer brings many memories to mind for us all. Barbecues, beach days, ice cream, and anything being outside or around water. This time is one often full of plans, big events like weddings or showers, birthday parties, it is celebrations galore.

As a child, I spent most of my summers at summer camp, having playdates or going to the beach or lake. Summer always went by too quickly and we would always wish there was more time before school started again.

Now as a mom, I am feeling this same feeling again for the first time in a new way. My daughter is about to start at a new school in a new country and there are only 2 more weeks of summer. The feeling of nostalgia and bittersweet acceptance that nothing can last forever.

The end of summer can be a time that makes us feel a mix of emotions, excited for the next season and chapter, while still holding onto the moment and wishing it could be a little longer. We experience this feeling no matter where we are in life, even if you live somewhere hot all year round or if you homeschool, there are still changes for us all.

Growing up in New Jersey, we saw all 4 seasons and I only had summer for about 3 months. The ocean would usually be warm in August but otherwise was still pretty cold. I only went to the beach a few times since we lived over an hour away, but those are still core memories from my childhood.

In my adulthood, I have been lucky enough to live closer to the beach and in places where summer never ends. Although I love the summer heat and sunshine, when you experience it all year long, you soon appreciate all of the seasons more. Going outside in the middle of the day is only possible at the beach, and even then it’s hard to find shade at the beach sometimes.

There are pros and cons to living anywhere. Living in the US Virgin Islands I saw the reality of how tropical paradise can be more challenging than it seems. Yes, you have lots of pros, but there are still very real cons to face as well. Hurricane season, drought, volcanoes (other islands in the world) earthquakes, literally all natural disasters can occur and will be more devastating in a remote location with limited resources.

The summer can bring lots of positive memories, but can also be a reminder of the change we are seeing in our planet. We can all notice the difference in the heat of the summers lately, record breaking highs keep getting higher each year. There are communities all over the world dealing with the realities of climate change firsthand, while others are barely affected yet. Soon, we will be all facing these challenges and wondering why we didn’t stop it when we could.

Let’s enjoy the last weeks of summer, and remember that our actions have an impact. Think twice about where you shop, where you invest, how you live and what you do. There are consequences for every little thing we do, so let’s try to make a better impact, for ourselves and for the future. Our kids deserve the best and so do our generations to come.