Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Indulge your inner child!

Today I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice" to the Tuesday Slice of Life sponsored by Stacey and Ruth from Two Writing Teachers. 

I like to remember when I was a kid and summer was a long, stretched out, luxurious event marked by time at the pool, weeding the garden, snapping bushels of green beans with my mom, morning walks to the library, canning peaches in a house without central air, and afternoons spent lounging in the family room with our room air conditioner cranked on high, a cool drink, and hours to spend in a favorite book.

This is my first week without a school obligation on the calendar.  Monday morning, July 1, I kicked off my month of independence from school with a walk in a neighborhood where my friend and I rarely walk.  As we returned to her car, I coaxed her into a neighborhood park.  She has a grandson so I told her we needed to explore it and see what was there.  Tucked into one corner of the park, not visible from the street, were two swings.  After looking at the play structures, I settled into one of the swings, pushed off, and pumped away.  I convinced my friend to join me, but her halfhearted attempt was explained away by the fact that swinging makes her dizzy.  I was holding my water bottle, but flung it to the ground so I could throw my whole self into the experience.  I recited in my head the words to a favorite poem, "How would you like to go up in a swing? . . ."  I became my inner child as I giggled, pumped ever higher, and longed to fly over the trees and above the water!

I have long lists of things to accomplish in the summer - the boxes in the garage that my husband always wants to get rid off (I have to go through them first), closets to be purged, desks and tables with piles of paper to be sorted and filed, the boxes of stuff I lugged home from school to organize, endless appointments to make, and home chores that get ignored during the school year.  However, I insist that summer fun be a part of each day.  What are you waiting for?  Quick, make a list of ways to indulge your inner child.  Turn to it every day and make summer fun happen!

12 comments:

  1. Awesome! As soon as I read about that swing, I hoped that you'd hop on...and you did. Fun HAS to be a part of every summer day, there must be a rule
    about this in some teaching book somewhere, I think!

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  2. I wish I could have been swinging with you. What fun! Yes, there should be fun tucked into each day. I've been pedaling away and enjoying the scenery.

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  3. I love it! Thanks for your investment into my summer fun with a bag of books from the library picked out for me! I'm loving them!

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  4. I'm so glad you jumped on the swing! It's my favorite part of the playground with my kids. There is nothing like the wind rushing against your face as you swing, and even though you know better, it just feels like if you go a little higher you WILL touch the sky!

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  5. I still swing a lot when we go to parks ;) I will indulge by sticking my feet in the kiddo pool this week to cool off!

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  6. I used to think it was just like flying, Ramona! I too am so glad you jumped on that swing, & then shared with us! Thank you!

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  7. Wonderful! Today I walked with a coworker and helped feed a baby! That was my summer fun!

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  8. Yep, summer fun! I can see you pumping higher and higher :)
    Bonnie

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  9. Swings make me a little sick to my stomach, but I love the poem, too.

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  10. Such wise and sweet advice. Today we built a blanket fort. Tomorrow the library!

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  11. I love this idea--throw some items on my mental "to do" list that I can actually do! Next time I pass the swings on one of my walks or bike rides, I may have to stop and pump my feet!

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  12. I loved your post because it is something we all need to accomplish this summer! I could just picture you pumping away on the swings....yeah! Did you do a jump off or a twisty? I was so lucky, just like you to have had those wonderful summer days when I was a kiddo. Today I made the mistake of opening school email on my Colorado trip...it was too early. xo

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