The Simple Joys of Summer

Saturday, July 11, 2015
There's nothing like summer to remind you of the simple joys in life. Hair blowing in the wind, flip flopped feet, sun-kissed noses, and twinkling stars in the clear night sky. Summer is replete with freedom. The freedom to stay up late or wake early. The freedom to traipse around barefoot or to wear your favorite sandals. The freedom to eat ice cream for dinner or grilled cheese for breakfast.

This summer is certainly no exception. For some reason, I am much more conscious of the fleeting days of summer, and I am making every attempt to make the most of each and every day, which is very significant for this work-at-home mama. Working in the early mornings and late into the night have become the norm, but it means my afternoons are free to drink in all of summer's goodness.

This week Harper learned to ride a two-wheeler, and she's been unstoppable since. I love her drive and determination. There's a funny back story behind her learning to ride a bike. We were in Dick's Sporting Goods on Monday to pick up a few essentials for her lacrosse camp when she hopped on a beach cruiser that was on display. Before I had a chance to tell her to get off it before she falls, she was cruising around the aisles. Not even kidding. She was riding a bike on her own...with no instruction or assistance.

And that was it. A monster was created.
She's been practicing fervently everyday, and she's improved dramatically since this video was taken. She wants to ride her bike every second of every day. I love her passion and her simple joy.

This week she and I both learned important lessons. She learned that sometimes things aren't as scary or as hard as you think they are. And I learned to slow down and enjoy the simple joys in life, such as learning to ride a bike for the first time. I remember being a little girl and riding my bike for hours, pretending I was driving a car. It brought me so much happiness and contentment. I've been wondering what she's thinking as she rides around and around the park. I can only hope that she's as happy as I was when my hair was blowing in the wind and my feet were pedaling away.

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