Pockets of joy
overflow, in the coming
of sun-kissed summer days.
There will be peppers
to stuff, and fresh tomato
sandwiches to eat.
It is a fiesta of colors,
marigolds and zinnias,
snapdragons, and more.
We fill our buckets
at the strawberry patch; my pockets
are stained with ripe, red berries.
The dandelion seeds
will scatter before us,
whispers on the wind.
We make our wishes, one by one,
in a blue-sky room, full of sunshine,
and a warm, summer breeze.
These have been busy days with the coming of summer. All the ‘outdoor rooms’ have been in need of attention. We planted two small gardens with flowers, herbs, and vegetables. We did plant tomatoes and green peppers because these are family favorites. I love the herbs with their marvelous fragrances…such a happy thing! We also planted marigolds and lavender, basil and oregano, and cucumbers.
We put up an arbor with two small fences in our side yard. Hopefully in time, I will establish a rose garden there. I have a great many gardening books, so I always have more ideas than time to do all the things that I want to do. Still, it is fun to think about, and maybe, that is the most important part. With gardening, you never run out of projects, and there is always something new to try.
As a child, I loved to blow those dandelion seeds and make wishes. Summer seemed to have all the magical ingredients. There were the honeysuckle vines with their sweet nectar, fireflies that lit up the night, blackberries and strawberries to eat to your heart’s content, and of course, endless trips to the beach!
In so many ways, these were simple pleasures. As children, we had time to indulge in the slower pace of summer, free from school and homework. As grown-ups, our free time is a very different story. We must learn to plan some unstructured moments into our lives. We must choose to celebrate some of that summer magic day to day.
Summers come and summers go. The seasons seem to move so much faster as we age. All we can do is make each season count. We must take time to notice all the changes going on around us. If we remember our childhood selves, we know that the simple things can bring so much joy.
When we look back at our lives, certain moments stand out clearly. We may not remember all the details of a given day. We do remember the moments…the people we were with, the way we felt, the joy we experienced, or the heartache.
There are ‘beats’ to life and they do not always make sense. I do know this…they change from day to day, and hour to hour. You cannot wait for the perfect ‘beat’, for the moment when you will begin to dance, begin to live.
Somehow, in life there is always a mix of beats, happy and sad, sunlight and shadows. There is really only this moment, this awesome and beautiful breath of life that God has given to us. It is enough, this breath, this life, this time before we enter eternity with God. God has promised to be with us always, and to provide what we need from day to day. With trust, we celebrate the sunlight; with trust, we know God will keep us safe in the shadows.
God has showered all of creation with His blessing. He has bestowed upon His children a plethora of beautiful things. There are stars that shine in the night, bugs that light up, birds that sing to us as we rise in the morning, and a moon that rises above us before we go to sleep.
The wonders of the Lord never cease. The river of life is endlessly flowing. With Christ, this river flows through all eternity. We are part of God’s river and what we do matters. Even when we feel that there is only a trickle of water, or we feel that the ebb and flow of the river does not make sense, God is there. With a mighty rain of love, He fills the barren places.
In John 10:10, Jesus says, “I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Jesus wants us to celebrate this life in Him, and to celebrate the gifts God has given us.
Summer is here. The river awaits. A mighty rain of love is falling down upon us…sunlight and shadows, fields of strawberries, ribbons of hope that bind us together when we are broken. It is the light that matters and that is all. It is the light that makes all things possible…
John 8:12: “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
(We pray for an end to the Canadian wildfires, and we pray for all the the firefighters trying their best to battle this incredibly massive blaze.)
I connected well with so many moments mentioned here Linda. Because winter lasted so much longer here, everything is in a rush to bloom and grow. I am almost being pushed to not pause and take it in or enjoy moments. Summer is trying to get ready for fall already and I have vowed not to do the same. Seems the mosquitoes agree with me as they are enjoying too many moments with me.
I am enjoying the long light 4:30-10 here…waiting for forever light someday, knowing like the seasons it will come. He will come.
Yes! Jesus will come again in all of His glory. That forever light is alive and well within our hearts and that is a beautiful thing. Our God who has begun a wonderful work within us, will be with us always. It is a gift to live in His light, and it transforms everything we see and do. That Holy light is there with us in every season and grows more wondrous each and every day. As it says in the parable of the mustard seed, it just grows and grows.
This is a lovely post, Linda. I need to get outside and do some things to my “spaces”.
Thank you! I have only made a ‘dent’ in all that could be done in the yard. However, it is nice to see something finished. I love to have plants in containers also as they are on the deck and porch…they always get a lot of attention. 🙂 (There are advantages to being close to the house.)
a lot of thought and effort in this post Linda, your words resonate deeply!
love those new vivid cushion covers, the butterfly and strawberry fields, your summer joy is bubbling over. The book I just finished asked “are you going to live before you die?”
Every season has its own gifts. In the summertime, I like to bring a picnic lunch to the beach. It is a simple thing, but the food always tastes better. Even if the sandwich gets a bit of sand in it, it tastes delicious. When I was a child, my mother often packed tuna fish sandwiches for a trip to the beach. I still do that sometimes. I can remember thinking that there was no better food in the whole wide world than those beach sandwiches. 🙂
what a delightful memory and so easily recreat-able … we lived on the beach so any food outdoors is a treat for me. Even having lived off grid in my tiny home for a few years I still like cooking my meals outdoors on my camp stove … sure tastes good 🙂
Yes! There is nothing like eating outdoors. There is no better dining room than sitting beneath the open sky. 🙂
absolutely, does make that food taste even more delicious 🙂
You’ve captured the joys of summer perfectly in your poem. I, too, am feeling the need to spend time outside before summer slips away. Our summers here are so very short.
Summertime always seems to pass by so quickly. Before we know it, fall will arrive and the leaf-raking will begin. 🙂 You live in a beautiful state in which to enjoy each and every season!
Indeed, I do!
🙂 🙂 🙂
I just love your posts….so simple on the surface, and yet so profound. And yes, we’re all praying for an end to the wildfires. You are a gift, Linda!
Thank you so very much for your sweet comment! I do appreciate your kind words. (We will all keep praying.)
Thank you, Linda, for this uplifting post! Indeed, savoring the delights of each season, with gratitude to God for the gifts they are, is a blessed way to live. Thank you for drawing attention to some summer delights we might take for granted if we’re not careful: fireflies, warm and soft breezes, birdsong, long hours of light, etc.–the pleasure of each is enhanced when we know the Maker of them all!
I love the warm weather. I have always been a summer person. I like the change of seasons, the beauty of the first snowfall in winter, the leaves changing color in autumn, the first signs of spring with tulips and daffodils. Still, summer has a magic all its own…
So descriptive, dear lady. Love that. You painted a picture for us. I used to blow the dandelions, too. Once,vi inhaled too quickly and it went up my nose. Yes, I snorted a dandelion. I never tried again after that. Summer is here. Blessings in store.
Wishing upon dandelions does have its risks! I spent much time looking for four-leaf clovers and I got a lot of bee stings. (I was very near-sighted.) It is a very good thing that I was not allergic to bees. 🙂 It did not keep me away from the clover, but it should have! I hope your summer is full of blessings, moments of wonder, and time to reflect on the little things in life…which are never really little things at all!
Ouch!
Yes! I was a magnet for the bees! 🙂 My mother always shook her head…another bee sting? Back in the day, she used to put mud on the bee sting. I can remember thinking, more mud? I was supposed to sit in the grass and wait for the mud to dry. I guess it worked…I forgot about the bee sting long enough to find another bee! 🙂 No joke. I had mud on my toes all summer long…
I do seem to remember that about mud & stings. Amazing.
Oh, those strawberries look so luscious! I’m salivating. 😋 Our strawberry season is over, but there are blueberries and cherries at the farm stand now. Summer is indeed a fiesta of color!
Yes! Summer is a fiesta of color! We have been eating a lot of watermelon at our house. Blueberries are one of my favorite things…and raspberries. Honestly, this is the best season of all with all the fresh produce. It has been cooler than usual for this time of year, but I am not complaining! My daughter and I, and her two little girls, had our first beach outing yesterday. (I did not go in the water…too cold!) 🙂 It was a beautiful day though, sunny, with a nice breeze.
It sounds lovely! 😊
A beautiful poem, Linda. And what a lovely reflection on summers, the one to come and those from the past. It sounds like you’re ready to take it all in and enjoy yourself. <3
Thank you! I am ready for summer! We have had quite a bit of rain…the plants are happy! 🙂
It’s only 41 degrees here, so I’m still waiting for the heat, but it’s coming!
🙂 🙂 🙂
Blessings Linda! I enjoyed this post so much. Your focus on the delights of summer was a wonderful introduction to sharing God’s Word. I especially like early morning walks in summer. I always seem to find some moments to share with our heavenly Father.
Your comment made me think of the Bible verse from Psalms 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” Those quiet morning walks are such a blessing!