I hear the click of the safety bar and the happy squeal of anticipation from my son next to me. I start to feel the wind in my hair and a drop in my stomach as we pick up speed. A smile of excitement spreads across my face as my cheeks are forced back against the wind. The people on the ground below us keep getting smaller and smaller. A scream escapes my body, followed by a fit of laughter brought on by pure joy and adrenaline.
My boys and I are flying high on a ride at the town carnival, and this is one of the moments I would freeze in time if I could.
Before we know it, we return to the ground, and the ride is over. My sons and I exit the contraption, all giddy and laughing as we run off to the next one. I have always loved rides and really most things that involve heights and adrenaline.
And while I am the first to offer support to any child who is fearful of rides or heights, I am delighted that my own kids are fearless and love them just as much as I do.
For me, part of the beauty of having kids is relishing the chance to experience something with them that I had in my own childhood. I love being their mom, but nothing beats when we get to just let loose and have fun together.
So much of motherhood is routine, schedules, and being the rule enforcer. And while summertime does offer a break from all that on some level, my role remains. I am the one they go to when they’re hungry, angry, bored, hurt, scared, or sad. And I am so grateful for that role.
But when there is a chance to play, live in the moment, and have the same kind of fun I did as a kid, I jump on it.
And isn’t that what summertime is for? So many opportunities to break away from routine and live it up!
Jumping off the dock, night swimming in a pool, movie nights, lighting sparklers, lying on the grass and watching the clouds go by, dancing in the rain, going to carnivals and catching lightning bugs. It’s so easy to get caught up in motherhood, life, and all the things. But what would happen if we just let ourselves tap into our own childhoods and experience the simple joy of all those experiences again?
We all still have our little kid selves somewhere deep inside.
And while I now need a gluten-free graham cracker for my s’more and find myself endlessly reminding my boys to wear sunscreen, not much has really changed in how I show up for fun.
And maybe that’s one of the greatest gifts of motherhood we can give to ourselves – the chance to play again, to have a carefree moment or evening of limitless joy with our favorite people. To take a break from structure and rules and just feel alive and enjoy the magic of summer, whatever that looks like for you.
This is your chance to relive those magic moments! Or possibly experience them for the first time if they weren’t a part of your own childhood. Either way, it is a gift to you and your children.
So this summer, while you’re planning, arranging, and carrying the mental load of all the fun your kids are going to have, don’t forget to jump in once in a while and live it with them. You will be creating moments so wonderful they freeze in time.
