Each of the four seasons are unique but I think summertime is the best of them all. It gets lighter earlier, and the sky’s luminescence lingers longer into the night than I am able to stay awake. The air temperature equals that of my body, and makes it a pleasure to spend more time outside than in.

      Keep it Simple

Around here, summer time opens up lots of ways to enjoy the outdoors either alone or with others. But we can complicate our enjoyment with too much of a good thing.

 A friend recently told me that they have all the toys; the bikes, the boat and the motorcycles, which presents a problem. They have too many choices and they can’t do it all. 

Having too many possibilities can be stressful, and that stress robs us from the simple pleasure of summer time recreation. But choosing to keep things simple with a few as opposed to too many, keeps the pleasure in place.

Finding delight for ourselves is as unique as we are. For instance, though there are some things my husband and I enjoy together such as hiking and kayaking, there are other things that we do separately.

For instance, though I tried golfing, I found no pleasure in it. On the other hand, it fits my husband well. Just yesterday, he went golfing with our oldest son and grandson. A three generation golf game is golden for him. I on the other hand headed out at the crack of dawn for a 30 mile bike ride. We both found our pleasure, but in different ways.

Discovering what “floats our boat” and takes us outside is important. Whether strolling through a park, rollerblading down a pathway, playing Frisbee with a dog, washing the truck, pulling weeds or planting flowers, moving our bodies in the warm sunshine decreases stress, improves our mood and infuses us with vitamin D.

Getting outside to enjoy the fresh air, natural light, blue sky, bird song, the beauty of nature and its natural aromatherapy can be as simple as eating a meal on the patio, sitting on the deck and playing cards, or lying in the grass while reading a good book. 

Why bother enjoying summer’s simple pleasures? Summertime is here, but it won’t last forever. Get it while it’s hot. It will make you glad.