Summer is floating by. The shadows are getting longer. There’s a tree outside my office that’s subtly but certainly turning from green to yellow. The sun is rising later. The back-to-school catalogs are piling up. Fall is on its way.
Earlier this summer, I wrote about savoring the slowness of summer. That even though I wasn’t taking a summer-long vacation or going on a trip to Europe, summer could still be a special season. And it has been.
So even though the demands of work and home still fly around me, life has just been a bit easier this summer. I take my time. I am savoring the most amazing fruit and vegetables. My toenails are pink. I eat ice cream any time the mood strikes. I dwell in nature more. My conversations go on longer. I have a whole new crop of freckles.
My favorite part of this summer has been the mornings. My daughter E’s camp starts later, so we have a little more time in the morning. E lays on the couch and watches Arthur while I read the New York Times - in print. I have time for a second cup of coffee. There is an absence of drama that seems to surround our morning departures during the school year.
This easiness continues once we are on our way. I’ve been going through a rediscovery of Bill Withers, and have a CD of his in the car. E’s favorite Bill Withers song is ‘Lovely Day.” So every day, when we get in the car to leave for camp, E says “Lovely Day” and I say, “Mista Withas” and E groans, then laughs. Then the music plays and we are both quiet, driving along, listing to the magic of these words …
When the day that lies ahead of me seems impossible to face
And when someone else instead of me always seems to know the way
Then I look at you and the world's alright with me
Just one look at you and I know it's gonna be -
A lovely day - lovely day
lovely day
lovely day
lovely day
In rediscovering Bill Withers, I came across a quote of his that seemed to sum up my thoughts on summer just right. He said:
“You can’t get to wonderful without passing through “all right.” And when you get to “all right,” take a good look around and familiarize yourself with things, because that may be all you are capable of. And that’s all right.”
Take a look around. All right, indeed.
Hello Marion...it's wonderful to read your uplifting posts, I especially liked the "absence of drama."
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day!
Marion, you are part of my lovely day. Your post was so well written and captured so many fabulous emotions at once. The image of you two girls in the car made me grin and Bill Wither's well...I'd never heard of him! That song is amazing...Ok, you get the point...I'll be buying Bill and enjoying my lovely day here. Blessings my friend.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff. I always feel so much lighter when I come to your blog.
ReplyDeleteSummer is my favorite season. I love the dog days and how they seem to move by like I am trying to pull a hardened piece of taffy.
Have a "lovely day". Enjoy the moments of what is left of summer and preparing for the fall schedule.
ReplyDeleteOur students head back to school tomorrow, so I guess summer is officially over for us. Funny, I'm not going to miss it. I love teaching too much for that. Lovely, lovely day indeed.
ReplyDeleteAh, LOVE that quote about it being 'alright'. Reminds of a quote from Douglas Adams which I've been meaning to blog about for a while:
ReplyDeleteImagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, “This is an interesting world I find myself in, an interesting hole I find myself in, fits me rather neatly, doesn’t it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!”
This is such a powerful idea that as the sun rises in the sky and the air heats up and as, gradually, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, it’s still frantically hanging on to the notion that everything’s going to be alright, because this world was meant to have him in it, was built to have him in it; so the moment he disappears catches him rather by surprise. I think this may be something we need to be on the watch out for.
(Douglas Adams)
xx
another excellent post, marion. i love it.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely post. Every time I slow down it is such a pleasure and I think 'why don't I do this more often?'. It makes finding those 'all right' and 'wonderful' moments so much easier.
ReplyDeleteI love Bill Withers. Love. I knew we were kindred spirits. :-) A fabulous post for me to read at this time of year, as our summer fades into autumn and the chill begins to penetrate the air.
ReplyDeleteThanks for Rewinding at the Fibro.