Summer Reflections – 2020

Summer 2020. It’s been a unique one, that’s for sure. There have been things that I have missed terribly, but there’s been so much that’s been wonderful. I think that sums up life in a global pandemic – highs and lows. When summer first dawned, it was with relief. We had finished about 3 months of scrambled e-learning and were flagging. A break from school came at just the right time. We plunged into lazing around, watching movies, reading books, playing games, swimming and binging on video games (Frog, Toad and I all have Animal Crossing now). It’s been pure joy to snuggle and talk and have so much time with my kids. It’s felt like a luxury. I’ve missed adventuring and going to parks, zoos, aquariums, and play dates. It’s been very hard and I have felt ‘stuck’ at times. Before covid, we really did a lot of traveling and going all around to see new things, so having wide open weekends as a strange adjustment. However, that’s also what’s made this summer so wonderful! We have had no plans, no pressure, no need to do anything or be anywhere and it has been so freeing. It’s made me think that when I am comfortable adventuring again, I will want to hold back a bit and give our schedules room to breathe. In a way, I’m grateful for the change, even though it has come with difficulties.

Each summer, my ex and I get one full week with our kids for vacation. The week my kids are away is always really difficult. I miss them terribly. This year, I knew it was going to be hard, so I made sure that I had lots of self-care planned. After the first few days, the sadness lightened and I fell into a routine. I absolutely love time alone, so I worked on reminding myself of this fact and indulging in just being by myself. I’m an introvert (even though I love being with people), so time alone is so nourishing. It was helpful to redirect my focus and it allowed the week to pass by with a lot of good memories!

On the flip-side, my week with the kids was amazing. There is nothing like chunks of time with them, and our week was no exception. Since we didn’t have a lot of adventuring options, we mainly relaxed and snuggled together. The one activity we decided to go on was kayaking! It was a perfect, safe, socially distancing adventure. We happened to go on the most beautiful day and found a quiet lake to be on, which was reassuring with the kids. Toad paddled with me while Josh and Frog had their own kayaks. Toad and I took turns paddling, which was lovely! : ) At one point, we brought our kayaks together, held on, and just floated all together like we were on a raft. It was peaceful and perfect.

This week is our last week of summer vacation. I am a mix of all the emotions. Sad that the summer is at an end, excited for a new, more structured schedule (theoretically), and hopeful. Autumn is my favorite time of year, so I am always excited when it returns. We are beginning the year with e-learning, which gives me so much peace. I’m grateful we can do e-learning as I feel like it’s the safest option for our family. We are going to fill this week with lots of fun and a little structure to ease into next week when we are back to school – 1st and 3rd grade!!

How was your summer? Was it a mix of highs and lows as well? Or more of one than another? I hope the end is peaceful and beautiful for you!

Best, Abbey