12 Reasons Why Summer Should Be A Forever

Think Summer, Love Summer, Live Summer

Home is just 45 miles away from our little paradise getaway, the Galveston Island. All year round I can spend several hours by the beach, enjoy a day of invigorating seaside sunshine anytime I feel the need to smile, unwind and escape the busy, sleep deprived city life.

In this place, Summer knows no season. Easily, Summer becomes that laid back “happy feeling” that I hope to keep 365 days in a year. To much? Not really. If I count the times I tried finding bits of happiness and actually finding them for myself and my family in a year, then there’s never enough of Summer and all the amazing moments that goes with it. So, why not make Summer a forever?

Here are the reasons why Summer should be a forever. I bet you can easily add several more of your own by the time you finish reading this post.

1. Summer is not a season. It is a feeling. The happiest of feelings.

Happiest of memories happens at Summertime. School is over. No more assignments. No more waking up early in the morning dragging our feet like zombies. No more car pool. Yipee! Everyone is excited for their much awaited version of relaxation and family dream vacations. Whether it’s a local road trip, a camping by the lake, a magical time at a kid’s theme park or an enriching world travel, Summer not only brings family together but takes them to their happiest of adventures, memories and yes, feelings.

We can play, swim and surf the waves all day or…

…when the sea wind is in a playful mood, fly a kite. If we forget to bring a kite, a body board will do. It does fly just fine.

2. Life Is Better At The Beach.

Last December, a very good friend gave me a water bottle with a message, “Life is better at the beach.” In so many ways, it is. Whether it’s the relaxing “don’t worry about a thing” effect of the waters or that carefree playful island vibe, life seems better at the beach. Where the beach goes, Summer follows. Where Summer is, happiness awaits.

Soap bubbles coming from a make-believe fire-breathing dragon, conquering man-made sand castles, digging precious gems and memories, flapping arms as we lay on the sand imagining like they were two powerful wings of an archangel defending mankind from the forces of evil , these are but a few creative, fun ways to celebrate Summer.

3. Summer help us find ways to clear our mind, heal our wounds, mend our hearts and cleanse our soul.

Life is a whirlwind of good days, bad days, “victory days” days, great days, “I’m so thankful days,” doom days, perfect days, “oh, my gosh can’t believe this is happening to me,” days. We need to have a breather. A place to find ourselves. A sanctuary to heal, recover, reorganize, rediscover the many things that makes sense, gives meaning and joy in our lives.

Take a minute and close your eyes. Imagine drifting to an island with white sand beaches and blue waters. Imagine laying inside a hammock, it’s swaying gently back and forth between two palm trees, rocking you to a blissful sleep. Imagine paradise where there’s no heartaches, no problems, no stress, no bills, no time pressures, no overwhelming responsibilities, just total calmness. Now open you eyes. Welcome to forever Summer. It happened because we all believed that it’s real.

Life can get very chaotic. It’s a contrast of light and darkness, unexpected turbulence and calmness. Summer help us find that much-needed faith, harmony and inner serenity.

Our life experiences, events and the world in general can bring out both the worst and best in us. They can easily change who we are through the years. Subtle at first, slowly creeping in until one day we can’t hardly recognize the reflection we see on the mirror. Summer help us reach out and reconnect to that good, kind, trustful, positive side of ourselves we long forgotten. Summer gives us a second chance to find our way back.

4. During Summer, we can dance with two left feet unchoreographed without music. All we need is to follow the rhythm of the waves and sync it with rhythm of our heartbeats.

It’s like Dancing With The Stars, only brighter because we are the stars and the people we love. Together, we create the most unforgettable of dance moves. Step 1-2-3,  cha, cha, cha!

5. Summer allows us to laugh out loud freely without holding back. 

A laugh that is pure, unpretentious, liberating. A laugh that we see and hear among children. A laugh when days were younger and life simpler.

Early this Summer, I had this kind of laugh and it felt so good. In the middle of our bursts of laughter, my wife told me, “You use to laugh more like that. I miss those laughs.” Lately, I’d been very serious, irritable, moody. She calls it hormonal. Perhaps it is or it’s just plain overwhelming stress. Whatever the cause, it opened my eyes to the reality of missing so many chances for happiness and inner peace. So, starting this Summer and the endless Summers thereafter, I will try to laugh more. Afterall , isn’t laughter the best medicine? More laughter prescription refill please!

6. Summer gives us many windows of opportunity to enjoy and live life. Windows that we can’t go back once those windows are closed.

How many times we heard ourselves say, “Nah, that can wait. There’s always next time. It can wait next Summer.” What if that Summer never comes. What if missing that window of opportunity will lead us to a lifetime of regret. Are we ready to gamble with fate?

Time doesn’t wait. We chase after time. What chances we have now may no longer be there tomorrow. We should live our Summer today the best we know how. If we’ve forgotten what Summer felt like, imagine what it was when we were 8 years old and Summer break has just began.

I only have 3 more off days from work before my wife and son leaves to visit family overseas. It will be 30 days of Summer without them. For someone who’s so used of having Summer with family all the time, that is painful and lonely. So, defying weather forecast of rain and thunderstorm, we went to Palm Beach last Saturday at the Moody Gardens. Here’s what my family and I would have missed if we let our window of opportunity pass us by.

An exhilarating swim at the wave pool…

Tubing down the Lazy River…

7. Summer is fun, fun, fun.

A thrilling plunge down an 18-foot Tower Slide…

My son didn’t want to try the water slide at first. I told him, “Just give it a try. I know you’ll love it.” After our first drop, he gave me and his mom a big smile, raised his arms and shouted, “That was awesome! Let’s do it again. Hardly recovering from all the water inside my nose, I replied, “Okay.” Laughing, my wife said, “You looked really funny with the water all over your face.” Laughing back I told her, “It was worth it. It was so much fun. You need to try it too.” She gave me this, “you’re crazy” look and replied, “No thanks.”

Summer help us discover fun stuff that otherwise we will not dare of doing. I have fear of heights but it didn’t stop me from trying the 3-stories water slide. Insane but I wouldn’t have known how fun it was if I didn’t try. My next goal…zip line!

8. So many amazing journey begins in Summer, goes back to Summer. A lifetime journey that allows me to spend more time with my son. A journey where I can hold on a bit longer to his many wonderful childhood years. A journey that will bring us to many unforgettable father and son adventures.

After having a great Summer in Clearwater Beach Florida last year, my son looking sad asked me and his mom on our way to the airport, “Is Summer Over?” Smiling, I assured him, “No son, Summer is not over. Summer has just began.” His face lit up looking all excited to Summer next’s surprise. I know so well that Summer makes him happy and when he’s happy, I am happy. Isn’t it making our children happy is what we all parents hope for?

9. Summer warms our hearts to fall in love, rekindle love or simply just be reminded what made us fall in love the first time.

Whether it’s the romantic sunsets or the dreamy sunrise, Summer help us remember what young love felt like. That first spark. That first kiss. That first walk holding hands with heart racing, butterflies in the tummy loving feeling. That first vow to love each other forever through thick and thin. That unconditional, timeless love surpassing every hardship, heart breaks and shattered dreams. That love that choose to keep Summer’s light and warmth instead of Winter’s cold and bitterness.

How to seal a forever? With a Summer’s kiss. It’s a kiss that will remind us always the many amazing beautiful Summers we spent together with our loves ones. The same kiss that will guide us through the many Summers ahead.

10. Summer help us be ourselves, find ourselves. We can be silly and that’s okay. We can show our vulnerability and others will accept it with understanding.

I’ve never been comfortable showing my face in my blog posts but this Summer, something inspired me to let go and show that vulnerability I keep to myself. It ain’t much but it’s a start.

Finding my groove this Summer…

My two best friends are trying their best to help me find my “chill” side and get groove my back. Because of them, I have this Summer to look forward to.

While sitting by the bay, watching a group of friends BBQ in the middle of the water, my wife asked me, “Are you having a relaxing time?” Looking all grateful, I replied, “Yes I am. Thank you for my Summer surprise.” She added, “And Summer has just began.” Looks like there will be more Summer surprises waiting for me. Yipee!

11. Summer inspire us to dream and believe in all faith that we will reach it. It may take a lot of sacrifices, fall, heartaches and frustrations but in the end, achieving the dream is sweeter and more victorious knowing we gave our best.

This Summer has been sizzling hot, not because of climate change but because of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. A wildfire of pandemic proportion has swept the world and here in America, World Cup Fever has the fans deliriously chanting, “U.S.A, U.S.A, U.S.A!” Obviously, me and my family have the fever too. Though I am for Team U.S.A., I admire the passion, hard work and talent of all the teams from around the world. I watched the replay of Team Brasil vs Team Chile. After the game I told myself, “Wow! That was one awesome game.” You can’t help but feel bad for the loosing team as much as you are jubilant for the winning team. Both played with their heart. All teams are in fact playing with their heart and you can pretty much feel it jump on-screen kick after kick, goal after goal.

12.  Summer ignites fireworks. Both that we see exploding across the sky and the ones that makes us feel so alive from within.

Fourth of July marks Independence Day in America. It is a celebration of freedom fought, won and gained many years ago by men and women that made this nation great. It reminds everyone the value of freedom as well as the many other things that kept us from being “totally” free. Freedom is more precious and more meaningful when we earned it ourselves. Everyday, there is something that we all strive to be freed from. Midsummer’s fireworks are symbols to inspire us to never give up fighting for our freedom, our hopes and all that what we believe in.

Summertime with its warm, happy, laid-back memories doesn’t have to have a beginning or an end. We can choose to embrace our inner Summer and make it a forever.

In the next several weeks, I will be sharing “Best of Summer” series. It’s the many Summers that made see life with new perspective. Summers that were so beautiful, they simply defied time and refused to be forgotten. Summers that brought so many blessings and long over due family reunions. Summers you all shared with me which in a way made them a forever.

Are you ready to take a plunge to endless breezy sunsets by the beach? Are you ready to be surprised and make Summer a forever? Here, take my hand, I will jump with you. 1,2,3…jump!