Summer memories

©Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Summer memories are perhaps the strongest ones you create. Because they are born during a period when you are the most relaxed, bursting to enjoy every minute of free time you have amidst the shadow of a tough winter arriving.

Summer is almost synonymous with the beach – sand, sea, sun, and seashells.

The most wonderful souvenirs are usually these: a sun-kissed tan, a bright smile, and seashells from anywhere you’ve been.

Regardless of being the outer protective layer of the animal that once inhabited them, seashells are believed to attract good luck, wealth, and prosperity, while reminding you of serenity.

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Healing bark

© Sandra Crook

He loved the summer season because it meant long weekends at the beach house. Summer was always associated with laughter, carefreeness, and fun.

But this year, they were visiting the house after a harsh winter and a recent fire.

It was not the same.

Yet,  there was a lesson to be learnt from nature itself. His father showed him how the trees and plants tried to protect and heal themselves. It was astonishing.

“Look at this trunk”, he pointed. It was broken all round and even wounded inside, but it remained strong.

“Inside, you too, are stronger than you think”.

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Don’t turn

©MCD_Antiparos

“Take the road up ahead, but don’t turn right. Go straight ahead, and you’ll see it soon after”.

The directions were clear. But as usual, hard to follow when you allow your instinct to lead you and you’re too mesmerised by the view around you.

But the truth is, that’s the beauty of travelling too. You wander off in places few know exist. You get lost in picturesque streets and beautiful architecture. You discover a culture that is hidden from the masses, and you reinvigorate your senses.

In misreading instructions, you actually find the most wonderful of places.

And in that, you revive in you the true meaning of life. To enjoy every single moment. Wherever you are.

Until next time…

“Let’s stay here”. She looked at him and he could see the longing reflected in her sparkling eyes. She was genuinely asking. All it took for him was to nod positively and she would fly off the hammock she had spent most of the day on and leap joyfully on the sand and into his arms.

This was the best vacation they had in a very long time.

They both felt carefree, relaxed, calm, and truly happy.

“You know it’s not possible no matter how much I want to too…”

Her eyes dropped, dimming the shine that was emanating from her entire body all this time.

“But I promise you we’ll come back soon. Even if only for a weekend”.

The smile returned, but with less glow this time.

“Perhaps one of the reasons this holiday was so perfect is because it lasted just the right amount of time”.

She nodded in agreement, as she marvelled at her sun-kissed hair and deeply tanned skin. She gazed past the turquoise blue sea into the horizon as the sun set, adding another memory into her mind.

Summer memories are stored in a drawer of your mind to look back on those dim winter days when you’re lying lazily on the couch.

He was most probably right, she thought. They had found the ideal place to go and relax, to see friends, have fun, and for – if only for a little while – stop worrying about everything and let life happen.

She recalled a Spanish proverb that says “how beautiful it is to do nothing, and then to rest afterward”. How true. This summer she fully embraced its meaning. In fact, it is valid that “sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax” (Mark Black).

She laid back down on her hammock and watched the sun dive into the sea as the sky turned red.

She breathed in the smell of sea iodine and promised to treasure the moment. Until next time…

“You don’t always need a plan.  Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens.” – Mandy Hale

The summer trip

©Jean L. Hays

When the heatwave set in, it was evident to most people that they were all in desperate need of a holiday. Everything bad seemed accentuated: the misery, the constant nagging, the rudeness among everyone. It was difficult keeping a good mood and pleasant character amidst it all.

But Maggie did her best.

Because this year she was looking forward to the summer recess more than anything.

This year she would go to the Caribbean. It was a dream trip.

And although she had volunteered to work at a marine center training dolphins, she knew this summer would change her life.

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Summer life

©MCD

Once June came, he would transfer to the beach house. He longed for those months there. Everything seemed so much better then.

It wasn’t just because it was summer and the weather was warmer, the days were longer and everyone seemed happier.

At the beach, people tend to worry less. It is as if they somehow realise that the meaning of life is to live it, not overanalyse it.

His father once told him that “at the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun”.

Magically, a solution to every problem appeared during his walks at the beach. His mind calmed down during sunset. And at night, when the only thing to be heard was the silent ebb and flow of the waves while gazing at a star-filled sky, he felt so much stronger, optimistic and…alive.

Conserving the summer vibes

©MCD

It isn’t really the return that hurts the most. It’s the crash landing that you feel you subject yourself to when the holiday ends. Because now you have to return to everything you were trying to escape from, to hide from, to pretend they don’t exist. You have to garner the strength to face it all. The reality, the routine, the “normality” you allowed to fade away while you were enjoying the sun, the sea, the fun, the new relationships and experiences the season brings.

We easily fall into depression when the summer ends and we are forced to return to our “ordinary” lives with whatever that entails. Because “normal” has a different definition to each person.  And we strive, at least for the first couple of days, to maintain that optimism and joy the sunlit weeks brought upon us. We struggle to maintain not only the memories of the most enjoyable season of the year, but the mood it brings along. We hope it won’t fade as soon as our tan-line does.

But the thing is, every season has its perks. There is something to enjoy every month of the year – every day, even. We simply need to have the determination to put all those dreams we make when we’re relaxed into concrete actions at any time. Our goals aren’t really seasonally. We can dream and make plans and set targets all year round. And if we’re decisive and courageous enough to take the risk, we can make them happen. We may even be able to conserve that summer optimism and cheerful mood.

Chasing Waterfalls

©MCD

It was a scorching hot summer day, but Jake was of the perception that you should grasp every opportunity offered to you to enjoy life to the fullest. The renowned waterfalls were very close to his holiday stay so he decided to go on the expedition early in the morning.

His car wouldn’t go that far though. It refused to budge further than the asphalt-paved road. So Jake had to get out, put his hat on, grab a bottle of water and take the trail on foot. Trekking was always one of his passions. He thought it would be an easy task.

But along the way, the road became steep downhill and slippery. Then small, sharp steps were added to the challenge, along with pointy branches that hit you abruptly. The temperature became humid and hotter as it took much longer than expected to arrive to the sought destination.

After an hour of trail – given that Jake took a wrong turn and had to go back to find the right road-sign for where he was going – he finally reached a rainforest-like path and could hear the sound of running water.

There was a crowd leading up to it.

Too many people meant he wouldn’t be able to enjoy it as much as he would like. Tourists often did not appreciate the cultural significance of what they were looking at.

Jake finally reached the foot of the waterfall.

You could hear the stream running from the top of the hill into a 3metre-deep pool. But that was pretty much it. There was not much to see and Jake was unimpressed.

Expectations often lead to disappointment. That was his thought at the sight.

And then he had to take the opposite route to return. And it was all uphill now.

Heatwave mood

©Dale Rogerson

When the heatwave arrived, any desire for outdoor activity disappeared. Michelle lay in bed, doors and windows closed to keep in the cool of the air condition. Her mood of the day was to do nothing. If possible, to not even get up.

The sky seemed cloudy. It was that hot and humid. The only place to be outside was at the beach, but the sea was miles away.

She stared out the window, half asleep, hoping something would pleasantly alter the laziness that had taken over her.

The silence was broken by a tingling sound. Repeated twice. A message.

 

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Closing for holiday

It’s that time of year when you walk around and see “closed” signs all over. With the sun burning and the sea seducing you towards it, even the last remnants in the city are scouring for opportunities to escape, even if just for a few days, maybe even hours.

August has its best and worst moments. The worst is knowing you are among the last of those stuck working in a stifling hot city, having to tolerate all those lavishly flaunting their holidays all over social networks.

The best is that at some point during the month, you too will be found on that other side. Lying on a beach somewhere, with the only stress you have being that you don’t actually have anything to worry about. At least not for those moments.

This is also the best month to do pretty much anything you want – to fall in love, to travel, to pick up a new hobby. Because everything seems so refreshing and light. It’s the month when you regenerate yourself. When you reconsider your life options. When you take time off to relax and review everything in a different perspective. That is when you realise where you stand and where you want to go. When you stop and think about it.

And perhaps that is the best thing with this month. That it gives you the chance to take a break and detox yourself from everything so that when you return you’ll be stronger, more determined and more optimistic that better things lie ahead.