Summer what it meant to me as a child and how I long for those days

Long hot lazy days of riding bikes , reading books, cloud watching, camping, going to the lake etc etc

When I was a kid I couldn't wait for the last day of school. Sitting in that hot classroom looking out at the sunshine shining through the trees , the butterflies flying through the air, the buzzing of the bumblebees flitting from flower to flower. The last place I wanted to be was in that hot stuffy classroom. It seemed like time stood still and whatever the teacher was saying sounded like a foreign language to me. Nothing registered except the sounds of nature. Finally that last bell of the year rings and the teacher says you are dismissed have a great summer.

Just the thought of those days brings tears to my eyes. The simplicity of youth something we rush through as a child and wish with all of our hearts that we could go back to as an adult. The only things we really had to worry about was doing our chores and getting back home before curfew. The days were filled with frenzied activity but without the worry of adult-ism. We had moms and dads to worry about that.

A typical day would be wake up, eat breakfast, get on my bike, go find a friend or two and the rest of the day would be filled with fun. I remember going to the park and playing tag on the playground. It was especially fun when there were a lot of kids there to play with. No one cared about whether or not we looked right, had the right clothes, had the right bike said the right things. In that moment they were kids who were going to play and have fun. No one was excluded in a game of tag.

We would go home when our bellies were hungry or when we heard the magical sound of the icecream truck. Funy how the jingle of the icecream man could make all the kids run.

Going to the lake was so much fun. Where I lived it was a planned outing since we lived a fair ways away from the lakes. The night before it was a mad rush of excitement to pack our bags and coolers. We had to make sure we packed for a solid day of fun. Once we got to the lake it was so much fun. Swimming, playing ball on the beach and don't forget making sandcastles. I still remember the feeling of pouring the water into the moat and watching it run back into the lake, the more twists and turns the more fun it was. Running back and fourth until we dropped with exhaustion. It puzzles me how a simple sandwich could taste so good on the beach.

It still amazes me how when the street lights would come on all of the kids would know it was time to go home. Once we got home we would unwind watching a little tv or we would go outside and watch the stars. One night I even got to see the Northern lights now that was beautiful.

I know I can't go back to my childhood summers but I can help create an amazing summer for my kids. I hope to instill memories in them so when they think back many years later summer will bring a tear and smile to their face.

Happy Summer