You're Free to Have Fun

By Juliana Leslie

Summer is in full swing! It’s that time of year we all look forward to for almost nine months. What makes it so special for you? Is it that you feel carefree? Is it that you’ve saved your vacation time all year long to be able to take some time off during the summer months? Is it that school is just a glimmer of a memory you won’t have to deal with again until September? Is it that you feel more alive during the summer months because there are so many more choices to make and things to do? Is it because your body craves the sun’s warmth, the coolness of the lake, the taste of a roasted marshmallow, the smell of a campfire, the sound of the wind in the leaves, chirping crickets and hissing cicadas? While enjoying these wonderful days of summer, please do so with an attitude of gratitude.

Unless you have your head in the sand, you are aware of the fragile state our world is in. As we decide where we might go for vacation, what summer job we want to pursue, or what to take on our picnic tomorrow, there are millions of people unable to make a choice of their own. Every single choice we are able to make is a gift we have been given by our forefathers and those who choose to defend our freedoms. We can either listen to the political propaganda and media hype or just not tune our televisions to the news or pick up a newspaper. It’s easy to go on with our summer lives when the worst is happening to someone else on another continent.

In order to deserve all that we have, we must first truly appreciate it. We have been lucky enough to be born in a place where everyone has the same ability to be as successful as they choose. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to reach a lofty goal. Some of us succeed and others don’t. Some of us spend our lifetimes resenting those who have more. The truth is, we have the freedom to be and do whatever we choose. Whether we wake up and go to work or to school on a given day is our own choice based on our own sense of responsibility and commitment. Appreciate this and you will deserve all the wonderful things that come your way.

It’s summertime! What will you do to make it special? Your choices are limitless. Why not rent a convertible and drive cross country sleeping under the stars with the top down. Go fishing with your grandpa then go home and eat what you caught. Pack your family in the boat with a picnic lunch and then take a nap in the warmth of the sun. Ride your bike to work. Spend an evening catching fireflies. Tell stories around a campfire. Take a walk in the moonlight. Meet all your friends and then watch the fireworks on the Fourth of July, keeping in mind what the celebration is truly all about. Do your best to live each day to its fullest, creating a lasting memory that can be retrieved on a day when winter feels as if it will never melt its way into spring… and don’t forget to add it to your list of gratitudes.

Juliana Leslie, MA Education, is certified in Holistic Health through WMU and completed a 2 year mentorship with Shakti Gawain in Hawaii. She offers retreats for women and children and is the proprietor of Whispering Waters Bed & Breakfast Retreat Center. You can reach her at 1-888-880-5557.