Remember when you were little and summer felt as long as the school year? When you woke up in the morning and stayed outside until it was dark and caught fireflies and went to bed with dirty feet? The most responsibility you had was trying to convince your mom that swimming in the pool or the ocean should count as a bath. When I think about those summers I remember how everyday was a new adventure with no expectations. My sisters and I lived everyday full of joy, laughter and love.
This summer has been almost as great. The only difference is that it has flown by so fast instead of lasting forever. I have spent everyday simply living in the moment without expectations. I have laughed harder and caught more fireflies than I have in years. I have gone to bed with dirty feet and fingernails and decided swimming in the pool counts as a bath. I don’t really like sand in my bed so I just jump in the pool after going to the beach and call it a day.
The magic ingredient is love. And sparkles. You can’t forget the sparkles. The weird thing? I have been surrounded with as much love as I have any other summer. The difference is this summer I have focused on family and friendships instead of plans and objectives. I started my summer with a hectic Memorial Day weekend full of nothing but family, friendships and love.
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| Corey, Chloe, Katie, Whitney, Christine |
My friend Katie was married that weekend and my sister and I danced the night away with two of our oldest and best friends in the world. I have been to so many weddings where I spent the night talking about how pretty the flowers were or how beautiful the bride looked. Katie was a beautiful bride but I don’t remember if she even had flowers. I was focused on catching up with old friends
and talking about how Katie and Dustin will have to look at each other every day for the rest of their lives. You know what I will remember most from that wedding? Feeling genuine joy for Katie and Dustin. I will remember celebrating a joyful event that was focused on a union instead of an open bar. Although the open bar was pretty great. It led to a full dance floor. I will also remember
sore legs the next morning.
and talking about how Katie and Dustin will have to look at each other every day for the rest of their lives. You know what I will remember most from that wedding? Feeling genuine joy for Katie and Dustin. I will remember celebrating a joyful event that was focused on a union instead of an open bar. Although the open bar was pretty great. It led to a full dance floor. I will also remember
sore legs the next morning.
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| My niece, Laila, and nephew, Marquise |
The summer proceeded with visits from family, trips out west, farming, kayaking, beach days and baseball games. My sister, Lauren, had her first baby six months ago and as cliche as it sounds, being an aunt has changed me. I have called my sister's stepson, Marquise, my nephew for years and he is witty, hilarious, affectionate and overall the best 10-year-old I have ever known. But it was Marquise's personality that caused me to love him. Watching Lauren go through her pregnancy with Laila was amazing. I loved that baby before she was born and when I hold her I know I love her unconditionally. Before Laila I was unsure if I knew how to love unconditionally. I knew what unconditional love looked like, and I tried really hard to model that, but I was unsure what it felt like. Now I know it feels like spit-up and hair-pulling. Good luck, World. Since her birth I have tried to incorporate the feeling of unconditional love into all my relationships. Some days I accomplish this better than other days. I'm only practically perfect; I still have a little work to do.
I have laughed so much this summer I think I'm starting to get some abs. I have a group of friends from college with whom I go on a trip every year. We are the 4Pack. Our hashtag is #adventuresofthe4pack. You should follow us every year. We are highly entertaining and create general mayhem and chaos everywhere we go. We are pretty and sparkly. Yes, I know there are five of us. That is another story for another time. This year we went California to explore the Redwood Forest, discover wine caves and bring laughter to those we meet. I'm not actually sure if we bring laughter or minor panic attacks. I choose to believe we bring laughter. I never laugh harder than when I am with these girls. What do we laugh about? Everything and nothing. We laugh because we are happy and living in the moment. These girls remind me to not take myself too seriously and to laugh at myself.
What I am trying to convey with this post? That you should live your life just like me of course! I'm suggesting that you take a few days and slow down. Stop and smell the roses. Catch a firefly barefoot. Go to bed with dirty feet. Laugh. Drink wine (only if you are 21 or over). Dance in your underwear. Kiss a baby or three. Love unconditionally. Add a sprinkling of sparkles.
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| Keatin, Olivia, Elisabeth, Ellie, Whitney, and some dude |
I have laughed so much this summer I think I'm starting to get some abs. I have a group of friends from college with whom I go on a trip every year. We are the 4Pack. Our hashtag is #adventuresofthe4pack. You should follow us every year. We are highly entertaining and create general mayhem and chaos everywhere we go. We are pretty and sparkly. Yes, I know there are five of us. That is another story for another time. This year we went California to explore the Redwood Forest, discover wine caves and bring laughter to those we meet. I'm not actually sure if we bring laughter or minor panic attacks. I choose to believe we bring laughter. I never laugh harder than when I am with these girls. What do we laugh about? Everything and nothing. We laugh because we are happy and living in the moment. These girls remind me to not take myself too seriously and to laugh at myself.
What I am trying to convey with this post? That you should live your life just like me of course! I'm suggesting that you take a few days and slow down. Stop and smell the roses. Catch a firefly barefoot. Go to bed with dirty feet. Laugh. Drink wine (only if you are 21 or over). Dance in your underwear. Kiss a baby or three. Love unconditionally. Add a sprinkling of sparkles.
