What I would do if I took Summer Break

Sometimes I wish I was a teacher.  Not because I love to teach…I’m more of a nonstop learner.  Not because I completely enjoy being around other people’s children…I adore my own but really can’t imagine entertaining twenty little ones every single day.  And not because of the pay…I’m sure most would agree teachers don’t earn enough for what they do.

So why would I want to be a teacher? 

Summer break, of course! 

Summer break is just two days away for my youngest…and I’m a tad bit jealous.  I remember looking forward to summer break when I was a kid…or a teen, really.  We’d go to the lake just about every single day.  We would swim and ski for hours and the time in the water only increased our appetites, making the homemade fried chicken taste that much better.  Now, as an adult, I have to say my dad was a trooper because he went to work in the woods as a logger every single day and I never heard him mutter a single syllable about how we got to play in the water all day while he slaved away in the hot sun.

Summer as a kid is a treasure but then…you have to grow up.  You graduate, get a job, go to college, get another job, find a mate, get married, have kids, buy a house (but not necessarily in that order)…and eventually, the memory of summer break just fades away.  You remember a time when you had all the time in the world but it’s just a distant memory as you scramble to get out of the house in the mornings so you can get your kids to school before you race to work with only minutes to spare.

But when your own kids are on summer break…those memories of summer freedom come back. The yearning takes hold.  I’m not as much of a trooper as my dad was because now that I’m no longer working for myself, I yearn for the summers when I could set my schedule around my summer plans and spending time with my boys.

If I were able to take summer break, it’s not difficult for me to choose what I would do.  I’d spend more time with my husband and my boys...more time with family, period.  I’d work in my garden religiously and enjoy every single piece of fruit, vegetable and herb with pure delight.  I’d plan more road trips or mini vacations (or maybe a big vacation!) and try to visit with friends or family who live a distance away.  I’d try to get caught up on my journaling and scrapbooking.  Maybe keep the house clean(er).  Read more, sleep more, laugh more and stress less.  And to my heart’s content, I would write, write, write!    

Of course, I can do all those things even if I don’t take the summer off but it isn’t an easy task to do everything.  It just takes more effort, planning and perfectly managing my time (not an easy task these days).  So how can I accomplish most, if not all, of what I would expect to do if I were able to take summer break? 

Simple.  I will take advantage of every moment not held captive by the office job and pretend they are what the summer is made of.  Whether they are enjoyed as a whole or in bits and pieces, savoring the moments and making them count is what a great summer (and life) is all about.