A Poem for Summer

I usually don’t write poetry; I’m too much of a rule follower. :)

But as I prepared for teaching two creative writing classes in our homeschool co-op, I realized if I was going to talk with kids and teens about poetry, I needed to get poetry in my mind. I’ve been reading different types and styles and decided to try my hand at writing a free verse-inspired poem about our summer.

This was the Summer

This was the summer

I bought water balloons,

Which the kids filled

And flung around the yard.

This was the summer

For both new and familiar things:

Baseball and movie marathons,

Youth group and playdates;

Trying to say yes when possible.

This was the summer

Of a stomach bug

That knocked us out,

Of allergies

That tickled and itched.

This was the summer

We cuddled on hot days

Because next summer, will you ask?

We talked past bedtime

Because tomorrow, will you want to?

This was the summer

We ate ice cream and snow cones,

Of hiking, swimming, laughing;

For enjoying every moment we could

Because next summer won’t be the same.

At the beginning of the summer, I realized time is passing fast. My oldest is almost 13, quickly approaching the age of summer jobs and doing her own thing. These carefree days of simple joys experienced together won’t always be there. I know time changes things, not in a bad way, but life becomes different.

This summer, I wanted to set aside the things that could wait and be completely present for my kids when possible. I wanted to say yes to things that were nos in the past {like water balloons} and let them try new things {like baseball}.

It was a great summer. Full, exciting, memorable. This simple effort captures just a glimpse.

Photo by Sergey Shmidt on Unsplash

Finding Beauty in the Little Things

The last few months have been filled with so many stresses and anxieties, at times I found it difficult to focus on something positive.

Everything seemed to be a loaded conversation. Everything was polarizing. {Still is, I guess, but I’ve learned to tune it out.} So much bad news and sorrow and unkindness and complete foolishness. People using their platforms to promote division.

Time was so full of stuff. Before the world literally shut down, I felt like I had so much going on. So much to do and rush around for. Things seemed busy but when I considered why, there was never a good answer. We were just busy. I felt behind and not as together as other people, like I was always having to catch up.

Then I began doing something I should have done long ago. I started appreciating small glimpses of joy and beauty that I had overlooked before. Maybe it was something that didn’t seem beautiful at first glance or it was an emotional beauty rather than a physical one.

The best way I found to do this was to watch my two year old. She is an exuberant and excited child anyway but her pure joy over finding “poly polies” {potato bugs/roly polies}, watching ants, talking and waving to birds always brought a smile. Maybe because as adults we see so many things as a nuisance or bother or not worth our time, but as I stopped and considered what she was marveling at, I began appreciating them more too. And wondering what makes such small things — both in size and supposed purpose — so incredible.

Did you know an ant can carry 50 times its own body weight?

Did you know Monarch butterflies use the sun to navigate?

God designed and created so many amazing things in our world but most of them get passed by because we’re too busy to stop and wonder. They seem small, trivial compared to our worries and schedules. And yet they are there. Surrounding us in so many places.

I’ve been trying to restore a wonder in the way I see things. To not let the ordinary pass by without a glance. To look at the world and experience it as if seeing it for the first time. I recently told Tommy I wish I could go back and read some of my favorite books again, for the first time. To relive the story without knowing what would happen or how the author would weave words and emotions together so expertly. It’s one of the hardest things about finishing a great book.

But at the same time, I believe it’s possible to still enjoy — even anticipate — books and scenes we are familiar with. The brightness of seeing it for the first time doesn’t have to dim. We just have to keep ourselves from growing complacent. To not be so jaded by the world that we roll our eyes and rush by everything, just eager to mark off our to-do list and keep up with all the social media induced expectations. And cultivating a wonder in the ordinary things makes the worries and troubles and fights in the world take second place, if any place at all. When we spend our time looking for and reveling in the beauty of little things, we don’t have time for petty arguments and we want to spread the joy we’ve found to others.

Part of resting in life is trusting that God has things under control. We follow his will for us {Prov. 3:5-6}, we obey his commandments and seek him, and we leave anxiety behind {I Peter 5:7}. When we aren’t worried and caught up in all the worldly things, it’s easier to look around and see the amazing creations God has put before us. And we start the recognize the little things he gives…

Sunsets in pink, orange, and purple

Bees landing effortlessly on flower petals

Hummingbirds beating the air

Snow dusted on mountaintops

Smiles covered in chocolate ice cream

Laughter and giggles while swinging higher

The joy of learning a new skill well

Sweet times with good friends

The world is full of simple, beautiful, ordinary things. But often we need to stop and look to fully enjoy them and praise the Creator of it all.

Photo by Marian Florinel Condruz on Unsplash