We asked our kids last week what metaphorical season they are in right now. All of them seemed confused. Literal summer also pretty much always feels like emotional summer to them. It’s fun. It’s beautiful. It’s relaxing. The peaches are ripe and the days are long and the sunsets are plentiful and stunning.
Peter and I both said we feel like it’s early spring. We’ve come out of a long year, with a fair amount of loneliness and so much transition.
Even though I feel like I’m in a metaphorical early spring, with muddy patches and tiny green buds just hinting at the abundance that is to come, I am also receiving the goodness of the literal summer for what it is—the time with people, the food, and the opportunities to watch, listen, and read with abandon.
Favorite Things
Which leads me to a list of my current old and new favorite things. Before I share what I loved in July, here’s one of my favorite projects of 2024—the Reimagining Family Life with Disability workshop. I loved creating this, and it’s so encouraging to hear from participants who say the workshop is transforming how they think about disability and the ways they reimagine family life. I hope you’ll check it out and tell a friend about it!
And now my favorite things last month:
1. Chunky gazpacho.
If you have a garden or a local farmer’s market with fresh corn and tomatoes, this is for you. Even better if you have 2-3 kids who can help you with lots of chopping in the kitchen.
2. Hydrangeas.
I can’t believe the long lasting beauty of these blooms. Apparently they are having a bumper year here in the Northeast, and I am here for it in every sense of that phrase.
3. Rummikub.
I loved this game when I was younger, and we’ve just pulled it out as a family. Penny and I usually play as a team, and everyone else has a fighting chance.
4. The Bear.
I know critics haven’t loved season three as much as the first two, but I’m still enjoying this show and the exploration of all the unseen workers and the tension between caring for people and caring that things be done with excellence.
5. Inside Out 2.
Again, I know the critics didn’t think it was as good as the first one, and I agree. But still this was such a great movie to watch as a family. We went out to dinner afterwards, and everyone shared who they related to in the movie and which emotions we see in each other. I was honestly so touched when I told everyone that I resonate with Anxiety and my family said that I remind them of Joy.
6. Rest for Your Soul.
I loved this sermon from John Mark Comer about rest for so many reasons, and what stayed with me the most was the contrast he makes between restfulness and restlessness (not restfulness and exhaustion).
7. Blue Zones.
I was fascinated by this conversation about “Blue Zones” where people live longer and healthier lives. One of the most striking things he said was that people live longer when they slow down.
8. Our Missing Hearts.
I’m going to force myself to only share three books I’ve loved so far this summer. Celeste Ng’s Our Missing Hearts is a beautiful and haunting meditation on what happens when the state controls our families and the power of art as protest. (This one is also a good one for teenagers.)
9. Troubled.
I’m reading Troubled, by Rob Henderson right now. After growing up in and out of the foster care system and then making his way to Yale and a PhD at Oxford, he has a sobering and fascinating story to tell. He argues that family stability matters more than anything else, including education, and that we should direct government policy/programs towards increasing family stability and emotional health. (Here’s a NYT video/story about his perspective if you want a short version of the argument.)
10. Truth Be Told.
I have enjoyed all of my friend Patricia Raybon’s mystery novels because of their combination of Denver history, race relations, faith, and mystery. Her latest, Truth Be Told (which was mentioned in the New York Times!), is her best yet.
As always, I love to hear what you’re reading, watching, listening to, playing, and eating!
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