Summer is fast approaching and the 80-plus degree temperatures say it’s so.

Tell me it’s not so.

Though the season holds some joy—like flip-flops along with a more carefree vibe in work and play—it’s never been high on my list of favorites.

I suffer through it, counting the minutes until the first brisk day hits the calendar. Bring on fall. Welcome winter. Isn’t spring fun? But please, not summer.

The beach is crowded. People, who abandon the sea when the temps drop and the snow falls, show up in droves. Traffic is insane, and the mobs are intolerable.

I know that I’m pretty much alone in this feeling. Or at least in the minority.

But all this being said, I know that each day is a gift. And if we look hard enough, we will see the silver lining—possibly many silver linings.

This morning I rose with the dawn, the chirping of birds and howling of some unidentifiable animals ringing in the morning.

As day broke and I readied for what lay ahead, I reflected upon the easiness and fun of summer. The laughter of children frolicking in the sand. The sound of seagulls singing their song. Ice cream trucks. Packing up for a day on the lake or, most preferably for me, a coastal adventure. Days that seem to last forever and nights that seem to do the same. They don’t call them the lazy, hazy days of summer for nothing.

I recalled the many good times I’d had during the summer months of my life thus far, memories flooding me with remembering how much I enjoyed myself—despite the heat, despite the sweat.

Standing in my kitchen, windows open and the sounds of nature filling the room, I found myself smiling. There was peace and tranquility in that moment. There was a hush before the rush, a calm before the storm. And I was reminded that summer may not be so bad after all.

There is beauty to be found in almost everything. We just need to stop grumping, stop focusing on what we don’t like, and be reminded of the things we do. And if we have trouble finding those things, make it our mission to search them out.

Reach deep within, listen to your heart, and set forth in seeking out the little things that will bring more joy to your life and give you some peace of mind.

It’s within us all.

And this summer may be just the right time to begin.

~