Summer Encouragement

It’s that time of year when my brain seems to dry up. At least the part of my brain that easily writes—and finishes—blog posts.

I have, in the blog folder on my laptop, several partially written posts that are almost complete. The beginning is done, the rest is either mostly finished or in note form that should be easy enough to wrap up.

I’ve started and stopped working on these posts so many times I’ve lost track. One is about my word of the year for last year, if that tells you anything. I’ve considered sending them all to the recycle bin, but even after all this “struggle,” I still want to finish them.

This might be a good time to take a blogging break. It’s the dead of summer, after all. But staying the course seems like a good idea right now.

Writing through it, although “it” can be a bit nebulous, has always been my practice. (Along with, apparently, “when in doubt, write about writing.”)

Lately, my daughter Molly has started working on a summer assignment for her senior-level computer class. She’s learning a new coding language, of all things.

Coding makes my eyes glaze over, so if she needs any help, she’ll have to ask someone else. But watching her do her summer lessons has made me think about what I’ve been learning (or relearning, or simply realizing) lately.

Nothing earthshattering, but perhaps still helpful. For example:

• The hotter it is, the harder it is to run. This might not be true for the high-school and college cross-country runners I pass on the trail sometimes, but it’s definitely the case for me. When it’s 80 degrees with 100 percent humidity before 7 a.m., I can feel my energy drain with every step.

And yet, I keep going because I know (or maybe I just hope) that staying the course when my morning runs are miserable will make it easier to run when the temps drop to a delightful 45 or 50 degrees. (I’m sure there’s a life principle in there somewhere, but I’m too hot to figure it out right now.)

• Human interaction is energizing. This too, I’ve noticed on the trail. I might be sweating and gasping for every breath, but when I exchange a smile or a “good morning” with someone going the other direction, it somehow gives me a spark to keep plugging away. (The happy golden retrievers who run past every now and then also have this same effect, by the way.)

• Intense heat is bearable as long as it rains every now and then. I know, I just told you I hate being hot. But that’s mostly when I’m exercising or trying to sleep. I don’t mind being hot when I’m outside working in the garden, or running errands, or working in my nice cool home. It’s mostly when the rains stops and everything dries out and goes dormant that I start longing for fall.

• Seasons are temporary. I’m not trying to be Captain Obvious here, but sometimes, it’s good to remember this. What comes next won’t necessarily be better, but it will be different. And sometimes, just the fact that it’s different can also make it better.

• In the summer, the kitchen is my happy place. Lately, to get away from the heat outside, the noise in the world and the conflicting emotions in my own heart, I’ve found myself thumbing through cookbooks and my big black binder of printed-out recipes, looking for something to bake.

If it contains chocolate or yeast, it usually does the trick. Digging into the dough or mixing the batter brings me peace, and the results have been pretty tasty too. Win-win, I’d say.

• When you have peace about doing something that doesn’t make any sense, allow inertia to work. As you might remember from your high-school physics class, I’m referring to Newton’s first law of motion, which says that an object (or a body) in motion remains in motion unless acted upon by a force. In other words, keep taking the next step until something stops you and you truly can’t go any farther. 

I’ve been doing this lately, and it feels like progress.

• • •

Now it’s your turn. What have you been learning this summer, in any area of your life? Please share in the comments so we can learn with you.

♥ Lois

P.S. I’m linking up this week with #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Recharge Wednesday, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.