We watched Raya and the Last Dragon together as a family last night, and it was great. The girls loved that the cast was almost entirely Asian and really enjoyed the art and animation. I loved watching a story with young women as the main characters and with no focus on a male hero. Movie-watching together like that has me thinking about how special summer is and has always been for our family. I honestly don’t know if other families feel the same way or not, but for us summer is a necessity and means freedom from tight schedules and time for fun together. Summer means more options and opportunities. Time to imagine, to explore, to enjoy. Even when I was young and had really limited options, I loved the summertime. Summer meant time to ride my bike and play with family and friends, picnics in the park, picking and eating scuppernongs (if you don’t live down south or don’t know what these are see here: https://www.southernliving.com/garden/plants/scuppernong), swimming in the creek or at the lake, roller skating, splashing in the sprinkler, ice cream trucks, and more.
We have always been a school-oriented family. My roles as teacher, mother, doctoral student, and Head of School required that I prioritize our school calendars. Through the years, I gained a deep appreciation for the summer months and time off from school. I desperately needed it to be ready for the following school year, and our family needed it, too. Most summers we swam, traveled, celebrated birthdays, went to the library, late drive-in movies and concerts, and spent time with family and friends. Last summer was unusual, and we didn’t do any of these things.
While we are moving forward slowly and sensibly, our vaccinated family absolutely will be celebrating this summer and making the very most of every moment. Not only did we miss the fun and freedom last summer, but our oldest daughter is preparing to move to college in September. We will celebrate her graduation, her next chapter, my 50th birthday, and more this summer. I am so thankful for this time and for being on this side of the pandemic. I vividly remember my daughter telling me that she didn’t think she could make it to the end, to the summer. But, she did. We did. I hope that this summer will be one of rest, relaxation, renewal, restoration, and recreation for students, teachers, and administrators. School’s out for summer! It’s time to do things differently.
Be sure to check out my blog posts and haiku and leave me comments if you want to start a conversation. Again, thank you for being part of my journey of practice and learning.
life of practice 