As I wrote to my newsletter readers this morning, I’m refusing to let another summer pass me by.
Year after year, summer is my busiest season, with speaking engagements and retreats. Being a single mom of a teenager has certainly added a new level of complexity.. and when you add in creating a new family with my sweetheart and his sweet boy… can someone give me a paper bag to breathe into, please?
I’ll admit, I’m prone to collapsing into victim mode and whiny excessively about how, once again, there will be no time for fun this summer.
No time for poor little me.
Oh no, Jenny Jen, not that old story. I call TIME OUT.
So instead of whining my way through another summer, I decided to write a summer manifesto and possibly foment a summer riot of ice cream-chin-drips and firefly-winks plus a few lazy games of croquet – or at least a daily porch sit to watch the grass grow.
The Let’s-Not-Let-Summer-Pass-You-By Manifesto
Summer is not a burden. It’s a reminder: life is sweet. Step outside and allow the astounding gift of nature to remind you that you don’t make the sun rise or the flowers bloom and thus perhaps, just perhaps, the world does not rest on your shoulders. Smell the breeze, feel the sun on your skin, notice the colors; life is here right now. Nowhere to go, nothing to get to.
Play is not just for kids. Spend an afternoon with an old person who hasn’t kept playing, who has decided to keep putting off pleasure, and if that doesn’t motivate you to get out the Frisbee or tee up the Pickleball, then nothing will. Or find a Laughter Yoga club or play kick the can in the twilight. Only don’t say you are too old or too busy. Please.
Forget the big swathes of time. Instead, grab the invitations to savor when they present themselves. Even one minute of actually tasting that succulent peach will change your day. You know life is short. You’ve lost people you love. Use that to stoke your courage to leave the computer and make a fort with your kid/grandkid/neighbor’s kid or pick berries and bake a crumble or…
Whatever you say there is no time for, there’s the perfect place to start. Listen for your complaints and your “If only I had time” remarks. When you hear one, drop the complaint and do the can’t, the impossible. It won’t be perfect but then part of the joy of summer is being messy and imperfect. Taste the sweetness rather than the dourness of sourness.
Do something outrageous. Hopefully, you have a memory or two of an outrageous feat from a summer past. Mine would be a three-week three-hundred mile canoe trip a thousand miles from anywhere. That’s not possible this summer but a little guerilla art with my teen is or a day hiking on the Olympic peninsula or just working at the beach instead of in my office is. What would be a little outrageous for you? Or more than a little?
It’s not about nostalgia or recreating your childhood. What feasting on summer is about is remembering that your life is a choice and you can let it become a burden and a list you never catch up with or a crazy Dune Buggy ride over the Florida Keys bridge, bugs in your teeth, wind in your hair, blue water as far as the eye can see.
Join me in reclaiming a bit of your summer by simply saying YES in the comments. If you also want to add what you will do to enjoy summer this year, I’d so love to hear!
Now I’m head outside for lunch!
Related posts:
46 responses so far ↓
1 Jenny Ryan Jul 2, 2009
My summer manifesto: gentleness and kindness
sandals, comfy clothes, corn on the cob, grilling, watermelon, more deep breaths, slowing down my tasks and mindfully choosing which ones to pick up or put down
2 Lori Paximadis Jul 2, 2009
YES.
In the spring, I made a commitment to myself to not overschedule myself, to limit the projects and work I take on so I can have lots of flexibility in my schedule to take advantages of opportunities to have fun and to just be. It’s been a lifesaver.
3 Sarah Bray Jul 2, 2009
For me, it’s enjoying it even though the A/C is broken! Impossible?
4 Jenn Givler Jul 2, 2009
My summer manifesto – wildly enjoy this very first summer with Maddie (my 7 year old) home with me full time.
Madd’s gone to full-day summer camp. Last year, we realized, she out-grew it. So she’s home with me this year.
I am loving it so far, and am bound and determined to put time aside every single day for her and I to do something fun and summer-like.
And, I vow, to be child-like and PLAY.
5 Curt Rosengren Jul 2, 2009
Every summer I say, “I’m really going to do more camping this summer.” And every fall I say, “I really wish I had done more camping this summer.”
I declare this officially the summer of camping! And as luck would have it, I’m starting tomorrow with a couple days up by Mount Rainier. Whee-ha!
6 Shelby Collinge Jul 2, 2009
If it isn’t fun, I’m not doing it. I focus on Fun, Fun, Fun. My smile will be my gauge!!
Thanks Jen
7 Cassandra Jul 2, 2009
YES! I say yes to summer by putting away that pesky to-do list, lounging in the backyard at night (wishing on stars), wearing very little clothing (in private of course), and savoring moments with family and friends.
8 Larry B. Jul 2, 2009
Always yes to summers! I measure my years from summer to summer and I even buy teacher planners for that purpose as they go from August to August. In August we head south to Florida for what is to me the “dark chocolate” of the summer experience. Love it.
9 Deb Owen Jul 2, 2009
Oh.
Wow.
It’s July, isn’t it?
ha!
Yeah. OK. Don’t let the summer pass you by. Duly noted.
All the best!
deb
10 Natalie Jul 2, 2009
Wow…I am right there with you and could so easily let summer pass me by. I have been so focussed on providing/creating a memorable, fun summer for my five year old son, but have not thought once (until now!) on creating a fun summer for ME.
I work full-time and let that with the daily to-do’s of life overwhelm me and get stuck in the story of “poor me”! But, not so this summer from this moment on!
Where can I slip fun in today will be my new mantra.
Love it! Thanks, Jen!
11 Mindy Jul 2, 2009
Fun & Focus
Fun would include… BBQs, hikes. weekend camping trips, music festivals (Michale Franti in Aspen Labor Day weekend!!), and spending lots of great QT with my honey and our friends
Focus… on new clients I am coaching, a handful of projects for my business, and doing The Artist’s Way again.
I was sick for two weeks in June and just now am really back to 100%, so for me it feels like summer is just beginning. Ya-hoo!
12 Beth Dargis Jul 2, 2009
We live about 15-20 minutes away from Lake Michigan. I used to rarely get to the beach, so a couple summers ago we decided to have a beach day each week in July and August. The teens and I (and sometimes my husband) have been doing it ever since.
When you know you have to be done working by 2pm it’s amazing what you are able to get done.
13 whizmo Jul 2, 2009
Sign me up. My garden – early morning – dew on the grass – silence – and ALL BY MYSELF!
Sigh.
THEN to the river one day then the ocean the next, then the river the day after and the ocean after that!
14 Goddess Leonie | Goddess Guidebook Jul 2, 2009
i just adore you so very much
i’m travelling into the depths of winter here in southern australia…
but i hereby vow and give myself permission to:
* bushwalk up the mountains to see the snow over the valley
* make space in our home so it feels like a cosy, nourishing nest
* say YES when it makes my spirit sing, and NO when it doesn’t.
15 Meredith Jul 2, 2009
YES. Walking in the silky evening Colorado air. Taking the dirt roads into less known places in the mountains. Tending the garden and my roses. Sleeping with the window open. Taking a walk in the rain. Writing. And more writing. Getting to know my neighbors.
YES – it is an amazing time, this summer. I claim this time as mine.
16 linda marie Jul 2, 2009
I have my convertible until October !!! I’m enjoying every minute of it this summer!
17 Ceil Petrucelli Jul 2, 2009
YES! Although it still doesn’t feel quite like summer yet in Vermont (lots of rain & cool days over past 2 weeks) I have been taking advantage of early morning light to walk my dogs at daybreak, savor the early morning quiet (just the birds singing!), and getting a jump start on my day. At night, I take time to sit in my backyard, watch the fireflies flickering and my cats trying to catch them! Before moving to Vermont, I used to spend a lot of time at the beach during the summer — miss that a lot. Instead, I just take long walks in the country, enjoy the green hills and mountains, and do my best to make time for simple pleasures-like picking a bouquet of wildflowers growing in the nearby fields, visiting local area art galleries, craft & antique shops, weekend flea markets, or just taking a few hours off to visit a local area museum or historic spot. Summer’s a great time of year!
18 Janet Bailey Jul 3, 2009
Fruit! It’s all about the fruit. Strawberries in June… blueberries and apricots and plums now… peaches and blackberries in August.
And bike riding in the evening, enjoying the long light.
19 Irene Jul 3, 2009
Yes, Yes, Yes!
Days on the beach, hugs with my kids and my hubby, scheduling pleasure time and go for it as seriously as I go for ‘have to do’ time.
Thank you Jen, you are my real, favorite motivational cheerleader.
20 Harriet Eidam Jul 3, 2009
YES
21 Renee Trudeau Jul 3, 2009
I am so with you girlfriend! I crave expanses of unschedule time, especially during this season! Here is my list of things I’m experiencing this summer:
http://mothersguide.blogspot.com/2009/06/summer-of.html
And, thought you’d enjoy this recent post on “play”–were you a Peter, Paul and Mommy fan?
http://mothersguide.blogspot.com/2009/06/play.html
Off to Kripalu to play for a week with the yoginis–thank you for who you are and all you’re doing in the world.
22 Gemma Jul 3, 2009
I just moved into a new house, and for the first time I have space to have a studio. I will play to my heart’s content in creating this space to be a nurturing, enlivening, inspiring place to play with my art!
I also have a huge new bedroom picture window, and lately I’ve been waking up naturally just as the sun is rising, and lying there enjoying the gentle air on my skin and the pinks and blues of sunrise. It is so good!!!
23 Mary Westheimer Jul 3, 2009
YES.
Reading the manifesto is one of those things I otherwise would say I don’t have time for.
Viva summer!
24 Alexandra Jul 3, 2009
Yes! I will take time to *see* this summer and not just to look. I do that best when I draw my surroundings. Now, I don’t draw well *at all*, but I really see what I attempt to draw. So, even if I produce a terrible drawing, I’ll still have truly seen my object! Look for me in the backyard, next to the sizzling grill, enjoying the scents, sounds and beauty of *this* summer!
25 Gayle Jul 3, 2009
YES! I spent last week at the beach with my sisters and nephew, and told my sister for once I did a summer thing during the summer! I made a list two years ago, then broke my leg and couldn’t do it. Hmmm, two of the items on the list are about ice cream! I also saw fireflys which we don’t have here. I’m adding “play time with the dogs” to the list, and the big thing will be turning my back yard into a retreat. I’ve also always wanted to do what the guys in “Endless Summer” did and just follow the sun, beach to beach…someday. For now, I just want to enjoy it every day!
26 Susan Jul 3, 2009
I love this manifesto because I love summer! Everything is so FULL and lucious. My garden in the morning has the most amazing light streaming through the trees from the east. I wish I could capture it somehow, but is illusive. Instead, I pledge to savor this light and celebrate summer right in my own backyard. Thanks for the reminder Jennifer to be here now in the fullness of the summer moment.
27 Susan Jul 3, 2009
I love this manifesto because I love summer! Everything is so FULL and lucious. My garden in the morning has the most amazing light streaming through the trees from the east. I wish I could capture it somehow, but is illusive. I pledge to savor this light and celebrate summer right in my own backyard. Thanks for the reminder Jennifer to be here now in the fullness of the summer moment.
28 Anne in Virginia Jul 3, 2009
Yes indeed!
My first summer without heavy responsibilities to research or fruit growers in 10 years . . . and my schedule is my own as I build my business.
As the “Fruit Doctor,” I agree with Janet Bailey. It IS all about the fruit. The first-picking blueberries from south Jersey, the pick-your-own raspberries here, the wild blackberries found in the woods on twilight walks, the Eastern Shore ‘lopes and ripe peaches at the farmers’ markets, and finally the sweet early Gala and Ginger Gold apples.
29 Marlene Jul 3, 2009
Yes. Because I’m helping my son raise my granddaughter, my summers are a mixture of keeping her active and bringing her along on my expeditions.
Writing, reading, exploring more places in the Seattle area I haven’t been and some favorites.
Running through the splash pad at a park with her, not watching- getting a reflexology treatment for an unheard of price in Kirkland, going to the free concerts in Bothll and Kenmore even though she no longer wants to come along (she’s 11 now), Taking an art class where I just enrolled her for some.
30 Catherine Jul 3, 2009
…for a change, not a lazy,crazy,”where’d-it-go” summer for me…
instead I’m gonna live my dreams…
finish the book,write the articles, work/play the faires and help other find and live their dreams,too
31 Ninni Jul 3, 2009
Yes. Yes. Yes. And lucky me, today was a summer day to remember . . . not for any giant reasons, just a day of quiet fun with the kids, a trip to the library, a walk to the park with my lady friend, making a new flower for the basket on my bike. Tomorrow there’s gardening, fiddling with our new compost heap, lounging in the hammock, and making ice cream before we go watch the fireworks. Hurrah!
32 Peggy Jul 4, 2009
Yes. I will lie on my hammock and look up into the ancient plum tree watching the plums ripen. Listening to the birds and feeling a gentle breeze on my body.
33 Shannon Jul 4, 2009
A big heart-full YES!
I love this Jen!
Here is how I am enjoying this summer:
• Choosing to play with my daughter each and every day
• Taking time to notice our yard, wildlife and garden each day
• Taking rides in the convertible with my husband on summer’s eve
• Eating outside as much as possible
• Laying in the hammock and listening to the birds
• Going to summer outdoor concerts (most free — love Milwaukee, WI, in summer!)
• Get to the beach and out on the kayak as much as possible
• Taking naps
• Slowing down, limiting my “to dos” to the minimum and savoring
Hooray summer!
Thanks Jen for the reminder of my commitment to this season!
34 Judy Dunn Jul 4, 2009
Okay, I’m in. No excuse for me, living on this beautiful island in Puget Sound. Don’t really have to go far to experience summer.
Monday I start my morning 5-mile walks around the island.
AND, I keep a list on my office wall, “100 Things I Love.” I’m choosing a few that fit nicely with summer and I’m going to seek them out:
Blackberry cobbler, riding on ferries, star gazing, baby deer, lighthouses, the smell of the ocean, sun sparkling on water.
Okay, that’s summer to me. Thanks for the nudge, Jen.
35 Teri Jul 4, 2009
YES!!!!!!!
Thanks, Oh-Great-Comfort-Queen-Jen, for the reminder to live deliciously in the moment: summer, winter, fall and spring!
Hugs and namaste.
36 Louise Jul 4, 2009
Breathe…just breathe in the warm summer breezes….
37 Doctora Gloria Jul 4, 2009
totally YES…
Being GENTLE to myself, putting a “hold” on self-criticism…
Caring about me (as well as those I love)…
enJOYing each day for whatever it is
joining with all the other faboulous folks on the blog in remembering to be CONSCIOUS and AWARE!
38 Adey Jul 5, 2009
YES
I had a very stressful summer last year because of health problems, so I have some making up to do this time. Thank you for reminding me!
39 KimberlyGrace Jul 5, 2009
Yes! Housesitting while my parents are on vacation – managing two households and a community garden plot that all need daily watering while trying to keep my teen son from spending every moment on the computer and working full-time didn’t sound like much fun. However, I got a few extra days off work, plopped a straw hat on my head, and hauled out the hoses. I’ve had my morning tea on the patio each morning (my house doesn’t have a patio or a pool) and then slipped into the pool as things warmed up – floating, reading, swishing through the water like a partcularly buoyant round seal. I am a water baby. Tonight when I’m all alone at their house I’m going to sneak out in the dark and skinny dip!
40 Tara Benwell Jul 5, 2009
YES! My five-year-old and I are sporting purple bracelets and taking the Complaint Free World Challenge this summer. http://acomplaintfreeworld.org/
It’s amazing how much more time there is for fun when you aren’t whining, complaining, criticizing, or gossiping.
Have an awesome summer, Jen!
41 Elizabeth Jul 6, 2009
Children know how to live in the moment, hence summers went on forever. My manifesto: Allow for “child-like” live’n in the moment!
42 Cairene Jul 7, 2009
Yes!
Fresh fruit.
Homegrown veggies.
Dining al fresco.
(working al fresco! if at all…)
Walks after dinner.
Toes in the sand. A swim.
And at least one ride on a ferris wheel.
43 Amy Jul 7, 2009
YES!!!!!!!
Evenings sitting on a deck chair watching fireflies.
Running through a sprinkler.
Experimenting with homemade jam and jelly recipes from fresh-picked berries.
Sitting at the beach of a local lake and just staring out.
44 Hope Jul 13, 2009
Thank you so much for writing this.
Im saying “Yes to summer”
My town has lots of festivals which i often bypass and never attend for one lazy excuse or another.
Just because you have no one to go with shouldn’t let it stop you from exploring things on your own. Yesterday my city held a kite/ ice cream festival in a big park it was wonderful. There was also bike activities while leaving i got approached about joining a 3 hour mtn biking skill course. It was free. Usually i would hesitate and certainly don’t like trying new stuff in front of crowds. But for some reason i said yes and i had the best time, learned how to laugh as i learned something new and made mistakes.
Yes to summer!!
45 chatondeluxe Jul 14, 2009
wow i love this, i’m adding a few
bake artisan bread
drink watermelon vodka
stretch like a cat
take photos with my new holga
thanks for the inspiration!
46 Choose Your Life Mondays #31 » Comfort Queen Aug 3, 2009
[...] Time for summer fun! [...]