Natalie Ogbourne

For more years than I care to admit, July 1 has settled in with a heavy sense of loss. Summer, I believed, was almost over. This is as unhelpful as it is untrue. How can a season that was born just days before be nearly at its end? Maturity is teaching me to take on this false and faulty thinking and step into a reasonable, fact-based mindset. Even though it feels like it flies by, summer is as long as any other season.

One simple practice I use to keep me grounded in the truth of time is to list the graces of the season’s landscape. This is especially key when I’m walking through something tough. While many of these come around every summer, a few are specific to this one. Regardless, attention to the gifts and graces of the season aligns my perspective with reality and fosters a hopeful mindset.

Perhaps you are more reasonable than I when it comes to the cadence of the calendar. Even so, let me encourage you to look at the landscape of your own life. What gifts are gracing your summer days?

shade
kittens
sunrise
s’mores
Big Acai
central air
hummingbirds
a different pace
gluten-free pizza
our family doctor
sunset boat rides
fireflies & fireworks
carpet ball date nights
birdsong & butterflies
using the extra bedrooms
roadtrips: 7 adults in our SUV
homemade strawberry ice cream
morning bible reading on the deck
front porch coffee and conversation
a break from all kinds of good things
cool mornings & the relief of evening
laundry drying on a rack on the deck
back deck brunch under the red umbrella
the patience of my family during a big transition
going to the pool with my husband and our 18 year-old girl
celebrations: graduations, engagement parties, & weddings

Tell me. What gifts are gracing your summer?