An Open Letter To Summer

Dear Summer,

Last year I forgot to love you the way you were meant to be loved. I forgot to spend long days out by the pool listening to the sound of giggling, splashing kids. I forgot to eat the freshest fruits straight from the farmer’s market, but most of all, I forgot that you would end.

I always forget about summer’s end– there’s so much to be done during the summer, and I have a list a mile long of things I had planned to do during the summer that never got done. So this summer will be different.

This summer, I promise these things:

I promise to get up early. Look, I don’t mean like I am going to get up in time to see the sun rise early or anything, but I do mean that I will get up in time to enjoy the long summer days. All of them.

I promise not to spend the entire summer wishing I could have cool things, but instead enjoy the things I have.

I promise float in the pool more. Without kids. You know that feeling you get when you are watching the kids at the pool– constantly counting heads to make sure they are all there? Yes. That feeling! I promise to try and hit the pool a couple of times without the kids this summer so I can stare at clouds instead.

I promise to wear sunscreen. Even if I am sitting here right now with a nasty sunburn from my first swim of the summer, I am going to remedy that situation and WEAR SUNSCREEN for the rest of the time. That sun-kissed glow just isn’t worth it.

I promise to stop and hang out with my kiddo. We will watch clouds, stare at stars, and leave all our electronics behind. Because she won’t be ten forever.

I promise to travel. Maybe not very far away, and maybe not a lot because traveling is expensive, but I promise to spend a few days away from my house and satisfying the wanderlust.

I promise to keep some sort of schedule so that when summer is over, we don’t die when we have to start getting up early and doing normal things again.

You know, what? Naaah, I promise to keep absolutely no schedule. To enjoy every single second, and avoid clocks as often as I can.

Summer, let’s have fun. Real fun, and when you’re gone, I promise to miss you like crazy. Until next time…