Heat Advisory
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the
first day of summer. True enough the day was sunny, still,
and hot–the pungent air thick enough to labor one’s breath.
If not for the slight breeze troubling the parched flowers and
wilting lawns the day would have been oppressive. As it was,
the solstice descended like a heavy woolen blanket over a
crazy quilt of orchards, tidy houses, rolling hills, and farm stands.
A good day for sweet tea or lemonade, for minimal movement,
a good book and a ceiling fan or a lazy afternoon nap, today less
is more. Yes, the seasons changed while we were busy living.
Yet even summer’s not static. As day melts into night, people
stir, doors and windows open to the cooling darkness. Neighbors
walk their dogs, children chase lightning bugs, adults pop open
cold beers and pour more tea, water thirsty lawns, and
steel themselves for the long hot days ahead.
Today is the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere, and I for one am glad of it. With a high in the 90s and a healthy dose of humidity, it was a good day to sweat or stay indoors. I did a little of both.
Every season has its glory, its beauty, and its “thorns.” How blessed we are to have the seasons, each one reminding us of time’s march, God’s creative hand, and our own mortality.
What gifts do you see in summer? How do you deal with the heat?
Photo by Meghan Rutherford used under Creative Commons License. Thanks!
