“And what is so rare as a day in June?”
That line from James Russell Lowell popped to mind early this morning as I sat on my porch. A week of fiery temperatures, muggy afternoons, and evening rains had finally birthed this beautiful blue panorama. The old homes and old trees of my neighborhood were studies in vivid color, the grass was as green as Ireland, and the breeze was a whispered promise of more good weather on the way.
Back inside, I revisited John Updike’s “June,” recollecting my own long-ago childhood:
The sun is rich
And gladly pays
In golden hours,
Silver days,
And long green weeks
That never end.
School’s out. The time
Is ours to spend.
There’s Little League,
Hopscotch, the creek,
And, after supper,
Hide-and-seek.
The live-long light
Is like a dream,
and freckles come
Like flies to cream.
“The time is ours to spend” becomes less abundant in its promises once we leave childhood; nevertheless, summer summons all of us to take some time for play and relaxation. And unless we live in states like Florida and Louisiana, summer should banish all thought of hunkering down indoors.
In “Landscapes of Grace: Hiking, Faith, and Finding Yourself in the Wild,” a chronicle combing his hiking and spiritual experiences, Jeff Gardner titles one of his chapters “Hey Kids, Get Out!” He writes of his own childhood, when his mom would order him and his siblings outside for a good part of the day, where they quickly found nature, fresh air, and exploration to be a grand babysitter. He also addresses two negative scenarios for a childhood summer, the well-documented detrimental effects of too many hours spent on screens and the overscheduling of children.
Researchers have long recognized the problems that come with overplanning, especially when it keeps the kids indoors. Back in 1981, Gardner reminds us, Dr. David Elkind published “The Hurried Child” in which he showed that children whose lives are overly mapped out by schedules can suffer greater levels of anxiety and depression. Even worse, perhaps, is Gardner’s summation of Elkland’s broader critique, that overscheduling can cause children to “suffer an overall loss of a sense of childhood, that is, the wonder, the exploration, and the joy that makes life, well, worth living.”
Experience alone should tell adults that a life of running from one activity to another without pausing for some leisure is unhealthy.
Nearly 20 years ago, I was visiting with a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time when she began describing her routine. She was a teacher who also juggled three weekly AA meetings, yoga classes, art classes, two weekly therapist visits, dancing, and more. “I feel worn out all the time,” she said. I resisted the urge to laugh and say, “No wonder!” I felt too disconnected from our years apart to suggest she back off from some of her activities.
Like children, we adults need our summers. The season generally slows the pace of life, and we should slow down with it. Now’s the time to tackle those outdoor projects, true, but it’s also the time to take pleasure in an evening walk, gardening, or simply sitting on the porch reading a book and enjoying the approach of twilight. As Gardner might say, “Hey Adults, Get Out!”
If you live by a schedule of booked-up days, then perhaps you should revise that schedule to include space for “free play.” This is the time every day when you play as an adult, when you break from that harried routine and catch your breath doing something you like. Summer is the season that encourages such diversions.
And to reiterate, spend some of that time outdoors. In “The World Is Too Much With Us,” William Wordsworth opened with these lines:
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; —
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
With a little effort, we can put away the phones, take a break from the world of getting and spending, and turn our attention to something that nourishes the soul – a sunset, our children, a stroll around the neighborhood.
There’s a little bit of heaven in every day if we make room for it.
Jeff Minick is a father of four and grandfather to many. A former history, literature, and Latin teacher, Jeff now writes prolifically for The Epoch Times, American Essence Magazine, and his Substack.
This culture article was made possible by The Fred & Rheta Skelton Center for Cultural Renewal, a project of 1819 News. To comment on this article, please email [email protected]. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News.
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