Days of the Endless Summer

Summer has always felt special. It has been an open door for freedom, an escape hatch from troubles, an entry way to the next stage. More than any other time of the year, it has always seemed as if summer is more here-and-now than all the other seasons could ever hope to claim. I hope you have been able to feel some of the magic this summer has left behind as we have tried to do in our family.

These are the days of the endless summer
These are the days, the time is now
There is no past, there's only future
There's only here, there's only now

Oh your smiling face, your gracious presence
The fires of spring are kindling bright
Oh the radiant heart and the song of glory
Crying freedom into night

Jennifer and I remember grass-stained bare feet and bee-stings and June bugs. We recall fishing in the creek or the lake, cow-pasture softball games and family reunions. We cooled off by drinking from a water hose. We roamed the yards where we grew up from the crack of dawn until the sun finally gave up and went away for a few hours. Then, in the gathering darkness, we captured lightning bugs after a brief chase. A tired sleep came reluctantly because slumber just seemed to be a detour to the fun being had.

These are the days by the sparkling river
His timely grace and our treasured find
This is the love of the one magician
Turned the water into wine
These are days of the endless dancing
And the long walks on the summer night
These are the days of the true romancing
When I'm holding you, oh, so tight

Now, we have a seven-year-old and her mileage with the seasons will vary. Still, we want her to come to know how special summer can be. We want her to remember bits and pieces of this summer, swimming in the lake and the ocean, pool time while on vacation, hair band bracelets, a golden tan, hanging out with grandparents and extended family, making new friends, catching lightning bugs, running barefoot through the yard. While her memories won’t be the same as we had that doesn’t mean those memories won’t be special to her. Maybe one day she will stop to think how special summer feels and roll back through the memories of past summers. Hopefully, she will then claim the here-and-now of that moment determined to always make summer feel special to her and those she loves, gifts provided by a loving God.

These are the days by the sparkling river
And His timely grace and the treasured find
This is the love of the one great magician
Turned the water into wine
These are the days now that we must savor
And we must enjoy as we can
These are the days that will last forever
You've got to hold them in your heart.

Even though it is slipping away, this summer still lingers, leaving open that door to more opportunities to make memories. I’ve now probably seen more summers than I will see in the years ahead. Although I’m not much for giving advice, take a moment to entertain what I have come to understand. Soak in the warmth. Breathe in the moment. Make a memory or two before the opportunity disappears. These can be times you will hold forever in your heart.

"These Are The Days" written and performed by the incomparable Van Morrison 

Promise

In a few days from this post, a wedding will take place within our family. A lifetime of dreams and months even years of planning funnel through time into a handful of minutes. Then the wedding is over and the marriage begins.

The groom is our nephew. When Jennifer and I married, he was our ring bearer. Now, our daughter will participate in his wedding. It’s one of those circle-of-life moments where the past touches the here-and-now as it reaches toward the future.

Jennifer and I should preemptively apologize to the bride and her family in case Hannah does something embarrassing during the ceremony. It is impossible to know how a six-year-old will behave in a short span of time when she is all dressed up then told to be still for what to her seems like forever. It’s a good thing Hannah loves the bride as much as she does as maybe that will help make forgiveness a bit easier if it is needed.

Despite the potential of the wedding ceremony becoming upstaged by a six-year-old, what really matters are the promises being spoken between the bride and the groom. When one pushes past the pomp, when one fans away all the formality what is taking place all comes down to a promise between two people. It is that simple yet at the same time so serious. This promise is more binding than a playground promise. It is more lasting than a pinky-swear. It is a promise hopefully spoken sincerely, soberly and in the presence of almighty God.

Those who will witness all this are partaking in this promise as well, serving as a rooting section of sorts for the two making these promises. While those gathered wish the couple the best they also know enough about living to know how life will not always be as wonderful as this particular day. They understand how some days ahead will be joyous and happy but how other days will be hard to get through or sometimes to get past. These witnesses know there will be things ahead which can shake a couple to their very core. They also know that in the hard, dark times is when the promises spoken on this specific summer day can be remembered then held to tightly in order to weather any storm because the promises spoken were meant to last forever and not just last beyond the time it takes to say the words.

Soon enough, the wedding will be over and the marriage will be up and running. Before long, the ranks of “old married couples” will have new members. Membership fees are paid through the everyday push-and-pull and drag-and-drop of living life together. It’s the never-ending mortgage but it’s the backyard big enough for the kids. It’s the stressing over a job issue but it’s the calm refuge felt stepping into the living room at the end of the workday. It's the occasional candlelight dinner but it's also the sharing of the last doughnut in the box over the kitchen sink. It’s the always leaky roof but it’s the neighbors who are better than gold. It’s that moment of not knowing what to do next but it’s the understanding the promises made mean no longer having to go forward into the unknown alone.

It is the best life. Promise.

Awareness of Days

With the explosion of social media, it seems every day of every year is celebrated as some sort of special day. For instance, did you know that March 31 is National Bunsen Burner Day while May 12 is National Odometer Day? If not, feel free to mark those on your calendars so you can whoop it up appropriately.

If you love to eat then you can celebrate daily since seemingly every day of each year celebrates some sort of food. January 2 is National Buffet Day, which would seem to shatter the resolutions of some who have vowed to eat less just one day into a new year. Chocolate Cake Day is January 27. National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day is August 4 while Bacon Day is December 30. Then there is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day on April 12. It though falls on the same day as National Licorice Day. Those two do not seem like a tasty match to me but to each his own, which would be appropriate I suppose for National Situation Awareness Day on September 26.

Looking into all this I truly am at a loss for words at how so many things have a national day. Of course, being at a loss for words is no excuse since January 18 is Thesaurus Day. I suppose if I keep publishing this blog I should note March 8 as National Proofreading Day. If I ever decide to make the blog a vlog, I will have to be aware that National Speak in Sentences Day occurs May 31.

The overwhelming flood of national days of recognition might get to me so much I could pull out my hair but I really would like to have my locks for National Hair Day on October 1. If I am unable to refrain from pulling out all my hair then I only need to wait until October 14 for Be Bald and Be Free Day. If I am not able to honor all these days of celebration I might find I need time off from work even though I am not sick. If that is the case, it is a good thing that November 30 is recognized as Stay Home Because You’re Well Day. Of course, I am not sure I could really celebrate that day since National Absurdity Day is November 20, and, after noting so many of these type of days many of them really do seem absurd and silly.

 
It seems as if it were just yesterday that the Steve Miller Band reminded us back in the 1970s, “time keeps on slippin’, slippin’ into the future". So, with that in mind I urge you as you collect the days ahead to honor those days you feel you must celebrate in some special way. If you really dig potatoes then celebrate on August 19, 2018’s National Potato Day. If you want to honor the media set aside some time for National Everything You Think Is Wrong Day on March 15. Then top it all off on October 22 for National Nut Day. I’ll let you decide whether your celebrate that with pecans and cashews or with your slightly warped uncle and his buddies.

There is a lot of clutter to cut through when it comes to awareness and recognition of days which hopefully hold deeper and more relevant meaning than say National VCR Day, celebrated on June 7. By the way, no offense if you celebrate that day but even an old goat like me threw away my last VCR, uh, well, at least a few weeks ago. Seriously, though, Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Independence Day and other days carry much more gravity and heft than some days that spring up on Facebook in our morning feed. Beyond that, I hope more and more of us, including me, come to a deeper appreciation for things that matter beyond the surface things. Things like lasting friendships, the smiles of children, the bone-tired recognition of a hard day’s work, an honest person’s word, the honored commitment of a longtime married couple and other quiet things that often get ignored while life gets lived. Those are things that won’t receive a special day of celebration in today's world although they provide life with deeper meaning and appreciation. Hopefully, they are things we see when we open our eyes to look a closer at the lives being lived by us and those we love.