"Summer Joy" by Elena Goodrow
No matter how much I try to hate summer, I can’t help but love it. As a kid summer wasn’t a big deal for me because I was homeschooled. I did schoolwork scattered throughout the year since a lot of my schoolwork was going on field trips. We went on nature walks and learned how to identify plants. We went to a history museum and explored interactive exhibits. We went to an amusement park and learned about the physics of roller coasters. Everything was a lesson. Since my parents taught me and my three younger siblings this way, every day was a school day and I loved it. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely had some breakdowns over math worksheets at the kitchen table.
Summer time was still a break from those types of things, but we never got a break from learning about the world. For this reason, summer didn’t feel incredibly different from the rest of the year. I don’t have fond childhood memories of summer break the way other people might. I also have never been the biggest fan of summer. I do not like being hot and sweaty. In the Southeastern United States the summer is so humid, your clothes stick to your skin and it’s the most unpleasant feeling. It often feels like there is no escape from the heat. Also, this time of year can mean being extra salty due to CF as well as difficulty breathing with such high humidity. It can feel like a wet blanket on your lungs.
Despite this, summer seems to find its way into my heart every year. I may be hot and salty, but there’s no feeling quite like driving down a country road with the windows down, blasting music and drinking a slushie from the gas station. My hair may be plastered to my face, but at least I can still go to the family barbeque at the lake. There is no other time of year where the Georgia peaches taste this good, and I can get boiled peanuts whenever I want from a hut on the side of the road. I can jump in a creek and eat freshly cut watermelon. I take a nap in a hammock after reading a good book. Then I go home to a nice air conditioned house and eat tomato pie, which tastes best in the summertime thanks to the juicy ripe tomatoes. My privilege affords me to have this love hate relationship with summer and escape its brutality while being able to experience its best.
Everybody has a completely unique summer experience, and mine is very much based on my geographical location. In my opinion, there is nothing quite like a summer in Georgia… or as the locals call it- the devil’s front porch. Have I emphasized how hot and humid it is? It’s very hot and very humid, but so beautiful. You can catch fireflies after the sun goes down and search for honeysuckle. Eat a freshly picked peach while you sit by the campfire. No matter how much I try to hate summer, I can’t help but love it.
That goes for a lot of things in life. Especially our lives with CF. There is a negative and a positive light to any situation, and regardless of how bright that negative light feels, I challenge you to seek out the brighter side of things. No matter how difficult the moment may be, there’s a bit of hopeful light in there, somewhere. You hold all the power to make it burn as brightly as you dare dream.
What do you love about summer? I would love to hear any stories you would like to share. ❤️
