"Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world."
~ Ada Louise Huxtable
Shedding tensions. Summer certainly has that potential. The weather is warmer and the days are brighter, longer. Grass grows faster. Flowers bloom brighter. Fruit ripens and is sweet to the taste. Everything and everyone turns towards the sun. Long days provide more time for celebration and relaxation. Travel happens frequently during the summertime and people are pleasant when they are able to shed the drudgery of their homes and go elsewhere. Returning home is a joy after a trip. It's the place we are willing to return to. Even though we are there regularly all the rest of the year, in the summer everything just seems better.
Shedding tensions. Warmth is a relaxant. It eases stiff and sore muscles. Summer provides me the opportunity to shift gears. There are fairs and open air markets and concerts in the park during the summer. These events are all over and readily accessible. Even at later evening hours, it is still light outside when returning from them. With activity and accessibility comes the chance to see people I miss seeing in the winter. I love the slower pace, the brighter days, the shifting sense of time. With less tension, I relax into the joy of right timing for everything.
What is it about summer that helps you to shed tension? What makes summer different from the other seasons for you? How does it help you feel that all's right with the world?
