Summer 1995 I was ten years old. The Summer was something of a dream to look forward to. A dream of freedom. A dream of warmth. A dream of long lazy days laying in the grass. A dream.
Summer was like the epitome of being alive and acting on impulse and finding fun things to fill those endless days. Summer was a blast. Summer was filled fixing and riding bikes. Summer was filled with exploring the world around me whether it was the university nook and crannies or the mountains or desert.
All places were familiar and new at the same time. There were the spots that were traveled often such as the penny candy store and the swimming pool that we traded cheez-its for entry.
Summer gradually turned from neverending days of exploring and wonder to passing quickly as if in a dream. The days suddenly were gone and school was creeping up much too fast.
As I grew the feeling of summer changed. It turned from wonder and freedom to striving for money and a job. It turned to less freedom than school and eventually was no longer looked at as a dream.
At this point life started to speed up. High school ended, college started, seeking money drove many decisions. Time kept whirling by.
I look to my children and oh how I wish that their summers could be extended indefinitely. Wonder extended. Joy extended. Freedom extended. The time when money means less than experience.
I strive each day to return to that wonder and awe of those dreamy summer days. Sometimes when I leave work I head out to the desert where there is only sagebrush and dirt and long trailing power lines. I take the moment to capture pictures of toys and pursue my hobby. These are the moments that feel again like the summer days of boyhood.
I take my boys hiking and we search for geocaches and I see the wonder and excitement in their faces and I feel again those days of summer. I take them to the store with me and it is wonderful to feel their little excited wiggles and happiness that can not seem to escape them. What a joy it is to have my kiddos. I have found my return to summer. I have found my return to dreams. It is through my family that the days start to slow down and become fun again.
Life is a joy and every time is a wonderful reflection of our past experience. I want my children to find the wonder in the world and seek to keep those experiences close so that they can make good choices based on them.
