Porch Time
Summer is here and I couldn’t be more thankful. The wind blows across the tree in front of me and I watch it’s branches bow back and forth. The sun is intense, but in the shaded cove of my front porch I find a cooler solace. My favorite thing is to come out here in the afternoon, when the sun is too hot for outdoor activities but a cup of tea and a book stand at the ready for me. The kids take to their quiet time and I to mine.
Do you have a time of day and a spot you claim with which to retreat?
Even when the kids were tiny, I insisted on a quiet hour. Sometimes it was called room time. Sometimes we called it quiet time. And it has also evolved to screen time. Nevertheless, it’s mine. And my husbands too. Everyone needs a break and a space with which to take it. It’s funny, even though they fought it when they were little, they always came out happier on the other side. And so did I.
*It’s never too late (or early) to create this habit, it saved me.
The school year was a bit too much for me. As I’ve hinted at before the wave of May almost pulled me under. I’m thankful to have found my footing again. Between work, practices, volunteer obligations and general running of the home, I notice I am quite spent. And this small hint of summer has foreshadowed a bit of rest for me. May God bless it and extend it, Amen.
We are still wrapping up with a dance recital on the horizon and some trips for work and leisure afoot, but we also have on the docket hikes and pool days ahead! I want to be intentional with this season and not let everyone else schedules crowd out the space I want for myself and my family. It’s hard to know what to hold on to, what to let go of and what to let spontaneously happen.
How about you? Do you plan your summer season to be sure you scratch that adventure itch? Or do you relax into it, letting the days unfold?
Summer smells of the opportunity for adventure! I want to have that with each of my kids, my husband and my friends! Especially now that my older two are, well, getting older, it certainly compels my mama heart to do a few special things just with them. My hope is that we can do it all while also saving room for our souls to rest.
It’s always a balance, isn’t it?
Here’s wishing you a beautiful June of celebrating endings and warm beginnings. May your soul get quenched with what it’s longing for, and a little dose of front porch respite in between.
XO,
Jenna
Take some time to reflect on what your summers have been and what they can be.
You never know what you might find!
