It’s been a summer

School starts today. Yesterday, I took my boys for one last “hoorah” to our favorite little theme park, amid a million other little errands. I got them a frozen treat (a blue slushy is for one, strawberry ice cream cone for the other).

I asked, “So what was the highlight of your summer?” And in very quick succession I heard: “Going to Mamy and Papy’s, having Aunt Poppy visit and having Popeye and Grandma Daisy visit.”

Yes, this was the best possible cluster of answers, I know. My little heart shivered from the sweetness, which was even sweeter than a blue slushy.

Then they asked me the same question.

I overthought my answer, sure, but that’s my job in this family.

The highlight of my summer was a five minute window just when we arrived at a little mountain inn we had booked to stay at when we went to a little amusement park about 2 hours away. There was a big old dog named Lucky who welcomed us.

We checked in. We headed up to our room, and noticed a library. The boys were bouncing off the walls, as they are wont to do. After we got settled in our room, I said, somewhat desperate to calm them down, “let’s go see if there are any kids’ books.”

We got to the library, and that’s about when my favorite five minutes started. In the library was a basket of toys. Really, really cool toys. Like, the kind with batteries and buttons. And they all worked.

My boys were….how can I say this? So happy. Everything one pulled out of the basket of toys had them calling to his brother, “Look at this!” Like…like they were at a toy store where they could play with everything on the shelf.

And that’s also when one of them found a lightsaber. And found one also for his brother.

Right then…in that moment of both of my boys radiating with the unexpected delight of holding their lightsabers in hand…that is the highlight of my summer.

The highlight of my summer was having my expectations surpassed. The highlight of my summer was that for once in my life, the reality of things was better than I could ever have hoped for.

It was a summer.

The podcast is today! Give it a listen.

Episode 63: Foresight – Sing With Your Feet

This week, we look at how we can love ourselves better by planning ahead.

1. Episode 63: Foresight 31:32
2. Episode 62: Memory 30:13
3. Episode 61: Novelty 32:34
4. Episode 60: How to Have Great Sex 34:24
5. Episode 59: I Have A Theory 28:50