By Ashlie Miller
I read a rumor several weeks ago, when school was still in session, that some stores – which will remain nameless – were already displaying back-to-school items. In exasperation, more than one mother cried foul, “Can we just wait a few weeks until the kids are at least out of school before having to think about next school year?!”
It is an illustration of how hurried our lives are. Always rushing to, planning for, or worrying about the next thing, we feel pushed through our present moment and miss the opportunity to marinate in it and enjoy it. Even if we did not have the distractions of our electronic devices sucking our ability to be present, today’s summers are already jam-packed with busyness.
In mom groups online, the number one question you will read is, “Help a momma out! Please comment with all the activities, VBS, and camps that we can plug into this summer!” New toys, supplemental curriculum, and a planner to fill every waking hour with activities in hopes that those become lasting memories all tempt us. The intention is likely good – to make the most of the time off together – but could we be robbing ourselves and our families of something else?
Sometimes, we need a reminder of wonder always happening around us. My younger children, in particular, enjoy wondering as we wander. Spring and summer provide many opportunities to experience that. One day in particular, my children and I discovered a toad under the strawberry bush from which we were picking that morning; then, a bee lit on a flower right there to gather its precious nectar. Listening to nature’s ongoing symphony around us, we identified a mockingbird and a red-tailed hawk by their distinctive songs and screeches.
Later that evening, on a walk after supper, my youngest spied another hawk on a fence post, perhaps eyeing his next catch. As my husband and I sat on our front porch, our eyes were dazzled by the relaxing dance of the wind as it blew through the leaves of the trees towering above our neighbors’ roofs, filling the air with the fragrance of daylilies and gardenias.
But most wonderful throughout the day was watching my little image-bearers displaying the creativity and playfulness of their heavenly Father. They made books from printer paper or worked on larger stories on the computer. Some played out stories in their rooms with their favorite stuffed animals or built little worlds with blocks. In the cooler evening, some played pickleball, frisbee, and sword fighting in the cul-de-sac while others cozied up to read on the porch. No agenda. There was plenty of time to be bored, which meant plenty of time to explore their imaginations. My thoughtful daughter even thanked me later for letting her have time to be creative and even bored.
What a time to be delighted by the majesty of a glorious Creator who paints in tiny, miraculous, everyday things like toads and bumblebees. What a magnificent gift of a season to slow down, breathe, and not have the next week thoroughly planned. Oh, we will still participate in camps, VBS, and other activities, but the pursuit of boredom and wandering wonder is what I hope will drive us. We mean well. We want to redeem the summer, the time we miss together throughout the rest of the year. But is busyness the only answer? So, before we all buy our back-to-school items and fill our summer agendas, let’s take a moment to take a deep breath and reconsider soaking in the new season.
