I’m sitting on my couch. The hum of the washer and dryer can be heard from a distance, Eli’s swing is playing the sounds of birds and water. Eli is on the other couch, sleeping. Peaceful.
My windows are open, it’s seventy-five degrees outside. About every four minutes the most gentle breeze comes through my window and washes over me.
I wait for the next one to come, it always does.
I can smell the fruit I cut last night, the clothes that I softened with lavender softener. The sun is shining.
The sky is blue.
Anna and Noah are at their Grandma’s house. A sleepover with cousins. The kind that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives… someday they’ll tell their own kids about root beer floats, walks at a park, sleeping in the same bed as their cousins. Waking up to see Grandma.
Brian and I watched a movie last night, we folded clothes and ate pizza. We took turns snuggling with Eli (while the other folded the laundry.) It was the best date, I am not lying to you. I walked around inside the house with Elijah and saw the sunset, I felt a nudge to go out and enjoy but my heart reminded me that what was inside my house was more beautiful than anything else. Even the sunset. (usually)
(sometimes)
I’m feeling pangs of sadness as I think about the summer coming to a close. The kids starting school next week. Did we have enough s’mores? Enough trips to the beach? Why do we save all of the “good” stuff for summer?
We don’t, the good is just more flirtatious and light in the summer.
I do not want fall and winter to come but I’ve decided to accept it and let it wash over us. We’ll continue to make the most of this life.
I was sick this weekend, so sick. Brian and my parents were shopping for computers, I was alone with the kids when I suddenly became ill. so sick. so fast. I cried as I picked up my phone to email Brian “I AM SO SICK.”
Later they told me they looked at each other and knew what to do. They came right home. Brian took the baby from my arms, I laid down and slept. I woke up to the sounds of my Mom playing with Eli, Brian talking to my Dad, the kids playing outside. I stayed sick but I wasn’t sad that I was sick, I was surrounded by SUCH GOOD that my sick was okay with me.
I am better.
Today, I realized how thankful I am to have all of this laundry to do. We have clothes and a washing machine. I have a family that wears these clothes, they spill the food we eat on their pants, the food that comes in abundance. The food we eat, sitting around a kitchen table or a table on our deck. There are birds chirping in the distance and plans made for the week ahead. The week that will soon be over. Starting the official end of our summer vacation.
A wise friend once said “I decided to stop trying to make friends with time. And we just made peace instead.”
Yes. That.




























This post was so good, so well written, that I felt it. Felt the sunshine and smelled the lavender.
It made me want to feel the same way inside my own house…inside my own life.
Wonderful!
We always seem to leave things for the last moment, jam as much as we can into summer in hopes it will slow it down.
How lucky for your kids to have that time with their cousins! It is one of my favorite memory as a child, being with my cousins as my Aunt’s house.
What a beautiful post!
This life is so full of simple beauty and that is what this post reminded me of. Thank you. Glad you are feeling better…
Great post! What a magical day and actually it was kind of magical here too. How is it that four kids are easier and more fun to have visit than two? Oh, I know. It’s that cousin magic! It even takes me back to my childhood where some of my best memories were formed …. with my cousins!
Wonderful post. I really enjoyed reading it. I hate that summer is almost over, because this one was SOOO much better than last summer. I think anyone would agree with this!
I needed to read this today. Thank You.
Hi Beth, just came across your blog via Lisa Leonard’s, so glad I did. What a beautiful post. Totally agree with Rebecca – I felt that breeze too – oh, I do so love that breeze and that sunshine! Summer I will miss you. I also wrote about finding beauty in the simple things recently, via facebook. I think there must be a few of us kindred spirits out there at the moment : )
I love this post Beth, it’s beautiful. I love seeing this part of you.
Yes! I so get this post. We spent Date night here at home sitting in the driveway in the car listening to the stereo. The kids were all in the house playing video games or asleep.
I’m sorry you were sick we had that pass through here too, icky!
Hi Beth,
Thank you for sharing this great persepective! I feel the exact same way about summer ending – I LOVE summer so much and I long for MORE time, but maybe I should just make peace with time instead!! Great quote too!
This is the first time I am commenting on your blog. I think I found you through Lisa Leonard. I so much enjoy ALL you write about and resonate with so much of what you share. Thank you!
Keeping being the great momma that you are!
xoTiffany
This post touched me. so sweet and soooooo true. Thank you .
Have a pretty day!
Kristin
Oh how I wish we were having 70 decree weather here {we are having 80-90 decree weather}…I am longing to have open windows, and cool breezes. Perhaps that’s why I can not wait for fall b/c I know it will bring that very thing cool crisp winds and cool crisp days. Love reading your posts you are such a great writer.
Feel like I’m reading a good relaxing book that I just don’t want to put down.
Alicia
what a lovely post. so well written. i am glad i came here to read this today.
I like this post. Being at peace with our lives isn’t easy. I hope you can retain the ability…
This post is beautiful and so good for my soul, today.
Awesome, awesome post. I needed that today. Thank you.
Beautiful post!!
What a beautiful post. I felt that deep from your heart. What a great reminder to us all!
Hope you’re feeling better!
Beth, that was a beautiful post… I swear I could feel exactly what you were talking about. Definitely a post needed for my soul today. It was like a breath of fresh air.
Thank you.
I’ve been reading your blog for about a month. Today your post made me so happy I could cry. Sheer perfection!
Have a wonderful rest of your summer.
Aww. I’m so glad you’re feeling better. I love those breezes.
And I also declare we fight against the seasonal rules and we will STILL have smores after school has started, we’ll still sneak off to the beach, and to the park, and out for ice cream. And soon we’ll have the colors of fall, the crisp dark nights, the sparkles of snow, hot chocolate and whipped cream… so much to look forward to and CLAIM.
I’m in.
Oh, and what movie did you see??
Steph
Ohhh, I love this! I tend to look forward and not dwell on the fact that life is flying by. But still. Every autumn, there is a sweet sadness. However, we must see winter to have spring again.
beth, thank you for sharing…especially that quote…i SO need to make peace with time!
xo
lisa
Thanks for sharing this – how exactly does one go about making peace with time?
It’s strange to think about our children making memories- like we did, only we see everything so differently now than when we were kids ourselves. So we have to stop and try to remember – what was it like back then?
Beautifully written!
Love love love the way you embrace your world and really appreciate it. I wonder if we didn’t catch a bug when we were at hooters….I got sick too all of a sudden this weekend and even ran a fever. I use to love spending the night with cousins and they did become my best friends growing up. Glad you, Eli and Brian had such a fun date night.
Beautiful post! I love the quote at the end. So true!
This post is perfect.
Beth, I just LOVE this post!! So many thoughts that I’m having right now. I wish I was sitting in your house with the blue sky, 75 degrees, windows open and the breeze blowing through. AND the sleeping baby. Aaaaahhhhh… perfection.
Hi Beth,
You have made me feel the sunshine and love you were surrounded by from a another country away
I truly felt your heart in your words as you so beautifully laid them out for friends, family and strangers but dedicated followers (like me) of your blog to read. It just made my evening and me stronger to embrace the food stains on my girls clothes…even the red pasta sauce ones
Enjoy the last few days of your summer!
Take care,
Mich
I LOVED this post. I feel more relaxed this morning after reading. Ahhh…
Your words were so quietly beautiful….very different from my blog, where things are wild, crazy and loud (but equally just as great). I agree with the reader before that I felt very relaxed after reading your post, even though my kids are screaming and playing in the background.
Man I do wish it was 75 degrees here!!!!! Today the high is 98….
Beautiful post- glad you are enjoying life!
i came down with e.coli recently. mom’s should NOT get sick!
and… there are lots of amazing things about fall.
the leaves. the clean crisp feel in the air. the breeze. apples. snuggling. not sweating. sweatshirts- not coats- halloween, the beautiful leaves and colors of fall… crunching leaves on the ground, leaf jumping, hot drinks to warm you up. cooking warm cozy meals. football. i could go on. i worship fall. summer is nice. spring is great. winter is necessary. i love 4 seasons. but i WORSHIP fall!
Oh, Beth. I love this post. Everything about it. (except that you got sick.) And that quote from Steph really struck me, too.
This was beautiful and I’m glad I read it tonight.