Whenever summer comes to mind, I picture laughing with friends and family as we enjoy BBQs, weekend trips, and leisurely fun. I don’t think of the sticky heat, annoying bugs, or the mess left over after everyone goes home. Most people like me, try to remember the good, leaving the rest behind. Why would we want to remember heat, bugs, and garbage? Well, most of us don’t. However, I do want to remember why we tolerate those things… to spend time with loved ones, build relationships, and enjoy life.
Unfortunately, life is not always made up of laughter and good stuff. It is a culmination of good and bad, with many seasons of change. In scrolling through social media, often you’ll see one friend who is happy because they got their dream job, while another is suffering because they just lost theirs. Or a new baby being welcomed into a family in one friend’s post and the next post is sharing pain or paying homage to a loved one who passed away. It certainly reminds us all that life is precious and time together is short.
Sad to say that social media, which is meant to bring people closer, often has the opposite effect in several ways. One, it makes the lonely feel that much more lonely. They see all the fun others are having (since we all know we like to post more positive than negative…
I am guilty of it myself) which causes them to feel left out and abandoned. Two, when we do see others reach out, either in their suffering or loneliness, we are so calloused by the roller coaster of social media that we often overlook someone who truly needs a bit of acknowledgment.
I am the first to tell you I can easily get wrapped up in my busy schedule. I am a planner; if I weren’t, nothing would get done. So my days are typically planned out weeks, if not months, in advance. However, I have realized, it’s worth putting off work that I can do another time, to experience those precious moments with friends and family that I can’t always put off to another time.
One of my favorite quotes is “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter” by E. E. Cummings. And while, I know reasonably we won’t laugh every day, some days we’ll cry all day, we certainly won’t always have good days, I’ll still try. Because I know we won’t always have our loved ones around us. Some will go before, some after. One thing life is, for certain, it is changing every day.
In this issue we are rummaging through a timeline of color over the decades in a beautiful reminder that some things are timeless. We are highlighting a woman who made dramatic changes to live a healthier life, because life isn’t timeless.
We are spotlighting some refreshing summer treats and relaxing activities, all in an attempt to bring some special elements to your lives and help you make new, joy-filled memories this summer.
As you are experiencing your pleasurable summer, please remember the ones who are suffering and maybe ask them to join along.
MAKE THE MOST OF EACH OPPORTUNITY, you never know when it might be your last.
As seen in Modern Grace Magazine
