A Perfect Summer Day
perfect summer day at Mt. Hood, Oregon (photo credit Matt Chirico)
My girl’s idea of a perfect summer day
Starts in the dark, before dawn
waking up in a narrow dorm bed under well worn covers
stumbling across the tiny rom to quiet a blaring alarm
and gulping down a quick bowl of cold cereal with milk.
My girl’s idea of a perfect summer day
doesn’t involve a plan for cruising the air conditioned shopping mall
tanning by the pool in a teeny tiny bikini
or a mani-pedi with girlfriends, chatting about the latest celebrity gossip
My girl would rather pull on her red and black speed suit
knee high magenta and orange wool socks
slather her freckled face with sunscreen, hair in a messy braid
throw her pack on her back and grab her Volkls
My girl’s idea of a perfect summer day
isn’t like mine was, playing jacks on the cold linoleum kitchen floor
reading Nancy Drew in the soft grass
or dominating the world at RISK
She’s climbing high above the clouds
looking out from the edge of her world
hoping for sixty seconds of air time as she zigzags down the snowfield
wind brushing her face, bright blue eyes shining behind pink goggles
golden brown braid blowing in the wind
a perfect summer day (photo credit Matt Chirico)
My girl’s idea of a perfect summer day
fills both our hearts with happiness
and gratitude
What does your perfect summer day look like?
Summer Peace-Time To Slow It Down
Let peace come to you, out from where it’s hiding behind the sofa and under the bed. You have done enough for now. Let summer surround you. Let everything rest. ~ Karen Maezen Miller It’s time to slow it down, find some peace. Take a moment to stop, be still, breathe, and notice the little [...]
Cusp of Change: Those We Love Most
“Her life now hovered on the cusp of change…at this precise intersection in time, contemplating both distant memories and the uncertainty of the future, she knew she was standing on the lip between past and future. she had not yet taken a step forward into her new unwritten life.” – Lee Woodruff, Those We Love [...]
Injustice All Around Us: Seeds of Learning in Nicaragua
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” -Elie Weisel Sadly, in 2013 we continue to see injustice all around us. Injustice happens when decisions are made by leaders, bullies, and those who think they know best. Injustice hides in [...]
I Took My Kids to Macklemore and They Survived
It was one of those surprise decisions, really. A ski mama friend, knowing I love Macklemore, looking for another mom adventurous enough to hang out at a music festival on a school night with our teenagers, called me. Of course, I was game-on. Not only could I see Macklemore live, but I’d get the Coolest-Mom-of-the-Year [...]
A Reminder to Breathe and Be Still
It only takes a reminder to breathe, a moment to be still, and just like that, something in me settles, softens, makes space for imperfection. The harsh voice of judgment drops to a whisper and I remember again that life isn’t a relay race; that we will all cross the finish line; that waking up [...]
