Dad and I had an agreement when I was a child. His job was to work hard and take care of the family. My job was to do my best in school. My type-A rule-following heart relished throwing myself into my studies with abandon. Then came summer.

WHAT SUMMER MEANT THEN

Summertime meant the lessening of responsibilities, endless time for dreaming, reading and pretending. And staying up late to watch Johnny Carson.

It also included road trips downstate to see Granny and the cousins and usually one vacation to some place my parents had picked out.

Midway through the summer break, I’d long for the classroom. Too much freedom got boring.

WHAT SUMMER MEANS AS A GROWN-UP

As a parent, the perks of summer meant we didn’t have to adhere to as strict a schedule; but the worries increased. Who was going to take care of my kids while I was at work? Where could we go for road trips? How can I give them a vacation? What was the right balance between freedom and out of control?

As an empty-nester, summer can almost seem like any other time of the year. My responsibilities and interests and callings haven’t changed in any way. My schedule doesn’t change. (Why can’t jobs dismiss for the summer? Without diminishing our paychecks in any way, of course!)

How can I get the most out of summer?

A SUMMER MINDSET

My husband and I enjoy going to the lake. From May through September, our one thought is to build our schedules around this summertime activity. We like to spend our Saturday afternoons lakeside as much as possible, unplugged and away from any possible house-cleaning chores. The work will be there when we get back.

Do you have a life-giving activity you can focus on this summer? Even if it is only one thing, putting it on our calendar and following through can bring a lot of satisfaction. You might not be able to take part in all that summer offers; but you won’t feel like you missed out if you can keep that one favorite summer ritual.

Oh, and don’t forget to include summer foods into your diet whenever possible. You’ll feel summery when enjoying ice-cold watermelon, home-grown tomatoes or sweet strawberries!

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Welcome to my new blog. Today’s post kicks off a new season in the journey for me. I’m excited to try a new platform, but my readers can still expect to find words of encouragement in this space.

Today I’m sharing this post with the communities at 5 Minute Friday, Grace & Truth, Tell His Story, InstaEncouragements Link-Up, Let’s Have Coffee, Recharge Wednesday, Tune In Thursday