Enduring to the End (of Summer)

by Patricia Cates

Life has been so crazy busy that my writing has come to an abrupt halt. Actually since spring break I've been stalled. It has just felt like summer as the April and May calendars are always ultra filled. Why do the schools cram all of the end-of-year choir tours, and concerts and sports and awards banquets and field trips into a six week period? Our family has been extra busy as we have had people flying here to visit and graduations and weddings and vacations. We have had girl’s camp and youth conference (which are good things.) We are going to car shows and cross country practice and tennis camp and getting summer jobs and doing laundry and yard work and finding broken things that need repairing.

Life is grand and I cannot complain. I am blessed to live in a wonderful country and have so many opportunities.

But…sometimes I think it would be really nice to have two weeks off of mom status to work on my book.

That's all I'm saying.

Two weeks straight. Then it would be done?

While I was pondering this wonderfully busy time of year, I thought of how we are told by our church leaders to endure to the end. Monday was only the first day of summer. I love summer! Shouldn’t it be fun and relaxing? It certainly should not be something to endure.

It will fly by.

Free time will come.

Eventually.

I wonder if our kids think we are crazy when we use words like survive and endure. Can they comprehend what that actually means? Or do we sound overly dramatic?

If they play sports can they endure until the end of the game? Can they finish the race?

If they play an instrument can they endure their lessons? Can they endure the recital?

If kids are antsy can they endure sitting through sacrament?

If they are teens can they endure waiting until they are 16 to date?  

Can they endure summer?

How about if we just say “Enjoy the Moment!”

Because....moments are fleeting.

And that sounds more positive. Kids can easily survive all of those things. But they will all take mental and/or physical endurance. Especially when it's 93 degrees in the shade.

The most important thing is that the kids are happy and enjoying summer. My book can wait. This is their time to be young and for me to enjoy being a part of it all. They will be grown and gone before I know it. Maybe I secretly feel a bit envious as they seem to have a lot of spare hours in their day to just chillax. And do nothing!

But maybe that's what summer should be. Maybe I just need to channel my inner 13 year old and go lock myself in my room for five hours and write.

Or just chillax and let that book write itself.

Ahhhh…that feels better already.