Summer of Joy

With the Memorial Day holiday behind us, we have entered the unofficial start of summer.  For families the routines change.  Kids spend afternoons at the pool with their friends or gather for softball and baseball. Families of teammates gather around ball fields to cheer on and support their young athletes.

The libraries are filled with smiling children as they come together for story hour, crafts, and activities. My own daughter is a program director for her local library.  She is currently busy creating activities that keep kids engaged and growing.

Gardeners have done the work of planting and spend their mornings or evening weeding, watering and watching. Here at Broadway we gather at the community garden to help our neighbors facing food insecurity.

Many parks are filled with the sound of concerts from local musicians. Lawn chairs fill the grounds as people come together to listen and tap their toes. Laughter can be heard from the playground equipment where the kids gather.

I’ve noticed more activity on the links as I drive past the local golf courses. People with clubs slung over their shoulders gather around golf carts talking about the best path through the next fairway. 

During June, many families come together for celebrations of weddings extending their family and friend circles. Throughout the summer families and classmates are reunited providing opportunities for reconnection.

As we anticipate vacations and long lazy weekends, we find joy in the sun and the water, the forest and the trees, or even the path through our own neighborhoods. I find more people are out on the evening walk with the dogs. Recently, our backyard neighbor was also walking his dog in the park near us. We were able to strike up a conversation (6 foot privacy fences tend to get in the way of that). How nice it was to get to know him and Kierra, his Border Collie a little better.

There is joy in community. And, long summer days are suited to finding that joy. 

We see you busy in your families and communities and we celebrate the relationships you are making and strengthening. Yet, we encourage you to take some time after all the busy-ness to put your feet up, grab a good read and sip a cold beverage. Take time to reflect on your time with family and friends, the feel of the cool grass under your feet, and the taste of ice cold lemonade. Notice the stars at night and remember they are not going anywhere. Even when we can’t see them, they are still there, waiting for the next clear night to be noticed. Find the joy in that.

We would love it if you would share your summer moments of joy with us. What did you experience that let you go to bed with a smile of contentment on your face?  We invite you to share stories or pictures of the experiences that bring you joy. Send them to Teresa at teresaf@broadwayunitedmethodist.com with whatever permissions you wish - full names, first names only, no names, etc. You may also share them to your social media with the hashtags #SummerOfJoy, #BUMCCB. If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, you can also tag us in the post.

Happy Summer and we hope to see you on Sundays.

Peace,
Teresa