Monthly Musing ~ August 2013 ~ Here comes the sun!

The thing that I have enjoyed most about the recent hot weather is the way that it encourages you to be outside. Not necessarily in the heat of the day, when the dog and the flowers are wilting, but at other times when you might not normally be out; the very early morning and especially the evening. Instead of catching up on TV programmes, my husband and I have been sitting in the garden after the girls have gone to bed, watching the light fade and the bats skim the rooftops. Sometimes we chat about our day and sometimes we sit in companionable silence, listening to the world settling for the night and the church bells reminding us that it’s time for us to turn in too.

What we have found is that we are suddenly so much more aware of what is going on around us. We hear the sirens wailing along Newton Road, we hear the birds rustling in the trees, we’ve even discovered hedgehogs in the garden that we had no idea were living there. Cocooned inside the house, remote control in hand, we have shut ourselves away from the life on our doorstep without even realising it.

I suspect that we are not the only ones. We lead such busy lives that sometimes all we want to do is come home from work and collapse on our sofas to forget about the day we’ve had. We live for the weekends when we can do what we want to do – often to find that it rains and our plans are spoiled. The light nights and fine weather have given us extra time to do those chores that would normally wait for the weekend leaving us free to head for beaches, fill paddling pools and meet up with friends. The sunshine has been a gift, albeit one which must be treated with respect and plenty of Factor 30 suncream.

This summer, we all know that the rain will come again and probably much too soon for those who aren’t fretting about our gardens and overheated pets. It’s just another cycle of life, like our children growing up, the seasons changing and school terms starting and ending. The change doesn’t suit everybody, but whether we like it or not, it happens just the same. Being able to sit outside in the evenings has somehow slowed down that cycle. Instead of waiting for the weekends when work and school is over, we have been able to experience that weekend “down” time at night. This, too, has been a gift and one that I have been very grateful for.

 

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2 Responses

  1. Unknown says:

    Nice post.
    It is very true that you can let life just pass you by when you are in the thick of work, school and routines. I think because our lives are so busy it is important to stop sometimes in the madness and appreciate the simple things. You seem to have a nice balance at the moment.
    Lisa

  2. Winwick Mum says:

    I'd like to think so, Lisa – but I know it'll all get swept away by the family busyness again until the next time I force myself to stop! The lovely thing about blogging is that it does make you stop and think about what's important to you and that helps you to appreciate what you have at any one time.

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