the weight of our summers
Once again, in seemingly a blink, our summer is at its end. Moving from the frivolous nature of childhood into the whirlwind of adulthood forces a change of perspective.
Our summer days have become shorter,
less carefree, and more delegated.
Summer has typically been synonymous with fun, relaxation, travel and the like. It is still so, but now, there’s an undercurrent of looming responsibilities—a realization that summer has become just another few months wrapped in a mirage of freedom.
A friend of mine lamented that she found herself caught in a terrible dilemma every summer.
While she wanted to enjoy the long days of sun with trips to the beach with friends and picnics in Central Park, she also felt the terrible itch to work—to stay occupied and do something productive with her time, leading her to take up a demanding internship in the city.
Are these sentiments that you relate to? When given the opportunity to finally breathe and relax, why do we so often instead overwhelm ourselves with stressful concerns?
I believe the answer is found in our tendency to root our self-worth in what we do—how much we do and the maximization of our time.
There have been but a few days of my summer where I’ve done absolutely nothing—no housework, phone calls, or sifting through emails. It’s terribly difficult to do nothing, and even more difficult to convince yourself that this period of genuine rest is not at all detrimental.
Oftentimes, we grossly underestimate the energy it takes to operate in this demanding world on a daily basis.
Many of us have various roles, responsibilities and agendas that require us to pour out so much—what do we do when we find our cups empty?
Although there is a lot of work involved in mastering the art of relaxing, taking a break, a well-deserved nap or even a walk through your neighbourhood can be a start.
Thankfully, there are many days of rest ahead—as the days get shorter, and the nights longer, I hope that we can all find time to slow down, stay warm and savour each moment.
<3
