MIRANDA BROOKWELL/Youth Correspondent
A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. ~James Dent
Now that school is over, I find myself with an unusual amount of time on my hands. Occasionally I suffer from what I like to call Busy Bee Syndrome – I just can’t stop working and buzzing around. I’ve already got three “to do” lists on the go, full of things I will hopefully complete over the holidays. It’s nice to be organized, but sometimes I wonder if it’s a curse.
When did relaxation become a waste of time? All of a sudden it seems that spending a lazy day enjoying the sunshine (or rain that we’ve been having) is a terrible interruption to the average person’s productivity. It seems what’s best is to push ourselves to our limits at work, or renovations, or things we feel are more important than taking care of ourselves.
What we don’t always realize is those lazy days are actually incredibly healing. Stress is a cause of so many problems, from arguments to damaging our health. I believe that everyone needs to refuel their happiness levels once in a while, and the best way to do that is to get outside in the sunshine and do something relaxing. That could be anything, from neglecting to mow the lawn, or getting up to your elbows in garden dirt and flowers, or just enjoying a cold drink and a good book.
Personally, I like to do all three. Even though it’s been raining like Ponoka might become one giant pond, it’s awesome to see how thankful everyone is when the sun finally decides to show. While driving through town the other day, I saw so many people out walking, fishing, mowing their yards (keeners), and just hanging out.
So let’s make these two months last. Summer is good for the soul, and its warmth is contagious.