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By Jean Kim-Butcher
AHHH, it’s finally summer.
I feel sunshine and heat, I feel freedom from the school and extra-curricular
schedule, and I feel . . . fear.
My husband is still on his regular work schedule (in fact, a more accelerated
one, given the August deadline for his PhD thesis!), and that leaves me with all six kids all the time. What am I going to do with them for two whole months?
Thankfully, God’s tender mercy is often manifest in the minute details of our lives.
I encountered this recently at a women’s retreat evening, whose feature topic was ‘Summer Plans.’
Here is some of what I gleaned from that event, as well as some ideas that have
budded forth of late – at the inspiration, I trust, of the Spirit.
First off, I’ll make a list of a few things for which I am grateful:
• Health and budget compel our family to participate in accessible outdoor
adventures, such as camping, hiking and swimming at the beach.
• We live in a country where there are many types of family-oriented activities,
such as city-wide festivals, community centre and library programs, waterparks
and playgrounds, and church-run daycamps.
• Whether in summer or in any other season, I have an overarching vision for
each day: namely, to be perfected in holiness. Daily, every pure thought I dwell upon, every good conversation I have with
those near me, every act of service and charity I offer – every opportunity to love that I embrace – is noticed and made fruitful by God himself.
Summer vacation can be seen as a midway period to take stock of our year, and
perhaps to renew such New Year’s resolutions as may have suffered neglect.
I like to categorize these according to the following: spiritual (keeping a
consistent devotion time); physical (‘The Couch-to-5K Running Plan’); intellectual (compiling – and completing – a summer reading list); cultural (visiting museums/historic sites, attending
different ethnic celebrations); social (allotting a time each week to hang out with your neighbour or connect with a distant
friend by phone or letter); and economic (buying from local farms, volunteering
somewhere that welcomes children’s participation).
Make your own list – or better yet, have the family make one together.
Many of these goals can be combined, of course. For instance, with the imperative of getting up for school gone, maintaining a
regular morning routine can inhibit slothfulness.
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Walk to a local church which offers daily mass or morning prayer. Or how about
setting aside the same day each week to meet your girlfriend (and her children)
to embark on an outing together, or do some community service? The more the
merrier . . .
With a little planning and a change of attitude, the summer can truly be a
memorable time – even if, like us, yours will be more of a ‘stay-cation.’
A few reminders to ensure a blessed experience of summer:
• Avoid using ‘screentime’ as a default remedy for boredom; prevent dressing down for the hot weather from
becoming a dressing down of our dignity (keep modesty in style!).
• Let not a holiday away from home turn into a vacation from God’s house.
• As a parent, attend to your own well-being by taking a day off, even if it
means cajoling your boss, your spouse, your family members – or yourself!
I wish you much relaxation, safety and family unity – and a harvest of the fruit of the Spirit this summer!
One way to maximize your enjoyment is to go to tourismvancouver.com, and click
on ‘Things to Do.’ On that page, you’ll find a ‘Free or Almost Free’ section.
As one who has benefitted from useful summer recipes (like lemonade syrup to
last all summer in lieu of bottled water and sugary pops/juices) and an
easy-to-follow summer schedule, I would gladly share my ‘treasures.’
I would also enjoy hunting down yours – so please feel free to write me at:
jeanfamilycolumn@gmail.com
July 2009
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