In celebration of summer fun
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/08/2021 (654 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Summer fun. Those two words belong together, don’t they? In summer, I envision enjoyable activities like going to the beach, watersliding, having barbecues, exploring new destinations, and spending more time with my family.
Which is perhaps why I have been struggling with how to answer people when they ask how my summer has been. Sure, it’s been relaxing and low-key. But not exactly high on the fun spectrum. All those extreme-heat and smoke days found me stuck inside more than I’d like. In front of a screen even. Yes, I managed to get out on a walk or short bike ride in the cooler mornings – summer mornings are glorious. But the rest of my family wasn’t usually available until later.
I can’t blame the lack of fun completely on the weather though. Although fun can happen spontaneously, it often takes planning. And my brain wants to take a break from planning in summer.
Plus, planning is extra challenging when some are working, some are not. Or when one person in the family always has something planned. Or when everyone has different interests or energy levels.
I did, however, have a lot of fun recently. Fun playing. With small children. What began as an idea to visit a young mom friend, ended up as respite for her as she packed for a trip. So my one teenager and I got to take some kids to the park for a few hours, where we pretended we were on a ship. The three-year-old and I counted while swinging. We got to hear, “Again!” (again and again) as she slid down a slide after overcoming her fears.
We had a picnic and read stories. Kicked a beach ball and looked at the pretty flowers. We even stood by the sprinklers to cool off. Everything is new and exciting through the eyes of a child. I highly recommend it.
One morning, I was inspired to take a long walk, invite my husband to go kayaking nearby, and get my one teenager out the door on a bike ride – all before the wind picked up and a surprise rain came. One weekend, a friend invited me to the lake last-minute, and although I could have said no for good reason, I didn’t. Sometimes fun comes when we abandon caution and just say yes.
There’s still a bit of summer left. If you’ve been struggling to have fun this season, maybe you need to plan for it more. Maybe you need to see the world through the eyes of a child. Or maybe you need to stop over-thinking things and just say yes to ideas in your head or opportunities that come your way. Regardless, let’s celebrate summer with fun.
Sonya Braun is a community correspondent for Springfield North.
Sonya Braun
Springfield North community correspondent
Sonya Braun is a community correspondent for Springfield North.