The Summer of Pointless Luxuries

This summer has been rather refreshing. Needless to say, it's been filled with pointless luxuries for the past week or so - but before this week happened my summer had been filled with 14 hour car-rides and planes and soccer and sweat and tears and dear friends planning their departure from our lives and swimming and lakes and not enough ice cream. In the midst of that, sometimes all you have to do is stop. Breathe. Take a break.

Today I was scrambling through my Pinterest, searching for something to do on this summer day. Something besides planning for my incoming sophomore year. I found a picture with the caption: "Loving this weather!" My immediate response was "Maybe I should go outside for a while", then, an idea came. I shuffled my slides on and dashed out the door. I stomped out on the grass and took a seat, my furry companion soon joined for a cuddle that has been long overdue.

I took a break from life and the rather pointless luxuries to simply breathe. To reflect. To admire. It's crazy how often I overlook the gift of reflecting. I took a moment to reflect on my life and admire the Earth and notice how ginormous this planet is. The Earth is a terrifying place, and sometimes discouraging, but in small doses it's the most beautiful thing you will ever discover.

I took this time to shove away all my little life problems and just take a moment to reminiscence of the past. The now can be a bit troubling at times. With my dog at my side, the trees dancing above me to music of the wind, and the Earth surrounding me with it's presence, the memories started to come back.

I love those moments when nothing really matters and you can just realize the adventurous and sometimes stupid life you live. And you giggle at the memories of trying to impale a tree with a stick and then losing your breath from laughing simply imagining how stupid that must've looked to your older brother who had a somewhat concerned look on his face at the time. You chuckle at the memories of your little self playing in the dirt, signing the ground with  a stick - trying to get the mark deep enough to last longer than an hour. A smile starts to play on your lips as you remember licking the spoons covered with brownie batter with your brother at your side - then you laugh because you realize you still do that and not much has changed. But then, your smile starts to fade, because things are changing. People are growing and becoming part of the real world and leaving the fantasy of our childhood world. People are changing and being bombarded with responsibilities and moving on to the next chapter of their life, whether they want to or not. People are leaving, people are changing, people are growing and flourishing and spreading their wings to fly.

Your smile starts to come back when you realize that most things aren't supposed to last. They come and go like the rain sliding down your window. Some will soon be forgotten, and that's okay. Some are supposed to be forgotten but some will live in our memories and be etched in our minds forever, and that's pretty rad.

Unfortunately, most memories will start to fade when the demand of the now comes into action.

That's when a summer filled with pointless luxuries comes in, to repaint those memories and bring us joy. Each summer produces more memories, more experiences, and more change.

But hey, that's life. Changing and moving, constantly. Even when lost in the abyss pit of a motionless life, a train will come by to remind you that things are still happening, the earth is still rotating, you're still breathing.

Life never stops.