golden summer

While the warm, sunny days are slipping away, and fall is fast approaching, I am caught up in reminiscing. In some ways, I realize this summer has lacked a certain richness that my summers of youth contained. No longer do I spend endless days cruising the lakes on the boat, swimming 'till my heart's content, wandering to mom's garden for a fresh pick, and frolicking barefoot in the backyard. Now, summer life is limited to short evenings on the patio and brief weekends playing in the sun. Summer 2008 was one of the first that I felt myself realizing that I am truly entering into adulthood. We own a house now, I am deep into my career, and my responsibilities are never few. The carefree days (and I mean that in the most complete sense) of past years seem far away. Those summer days of youth were golden days to me. I clearly remember laying on my parents' boat, face to the sky, with the best of friends next to me... laughing, talking, and relishing every moment of sunkissed joy.

Now that life has changed a bit... I find simple, summer pleasures in things like wearing flipflops, growing veggies in my own garden, waking up to sunlight streaming in the windows,
and taking every opportunity I can to spend a moment with those I love the most in simple summer bliss.

This weekend Zack and I are heading up to Minnesota's North Shore. We are meeting with my parents and staying at a lakeside resort in Two Harbors. We will be busy playing on the shores of Superior, shopping in Grand Marais, dining al fresco, and most importantly, relishing every moment of sunkissed joy.