Thursday, June 24, 2010

Thursday Mini-Post

Summertime

This week, one of my critique partners asked us to fill out a little survey about summer. I started out answering the questions as a favor, but before long, I was lost in the happy memories of what summer has always meant to me.

First and foremost, I fell in love with my husband fourteen years ago this summer. I will never forget sitting in the car in my driveway during the summer downpour, the well-known chorus of Sweet Home Alabama playing quietly in the background as those three perfect words danced on the tip of my tongue, eager to be said.

I took a deep breath and turned to Kirk to set them free, but he beat me to it. “I love you,” he said, his deep brown eyes full of apprehension and sweetness.

I broke into a huge grin and said, “I love you!” He kissed me then, before we abandoned the car and danced together in the hot summer rain, uncaring of what the neighbors would think. We were young, and in love, and the air smelled of rain, and hope, and possibilities.

Perhaps that is why I love summer so much. It surely is not for the heat, for I will spend every moment I can moving from shade to shade, slathered in sunscreen and reeking of bug spray. But I don’t care if the mosquitoes eat me, or my hair turns to fuzz. All I have to do is close my eyes, and I can still feel the rain on my lashes and the thrill of first love.


What does summer mean to you? Do you have any special memories that come to mind?

6 comments:

  1. This post is sweeter than summer honeysuckle:) I have fun memories of playing "carwash" and driving my pretend car through the sprinkler in the front yard, of treading water for 5 minutes to get the card that said I could come to the community pool all by myself, of stopping the ice cream truck to get an ice cream shaped like a foot with a giant gumball on the big toe...and speaking of toes, there's nothing like bare feet running through summer grass.

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  2. Great memories, Kara!! Boy, do I miss that ice cream truck... :)

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  3. Aww you bring back some great memories Erin...love your blogs! Always a pleasure to read.

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  4. Thanks, Melissa! I just saw that you posted today, so I will be heading your way shortly :) Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. This is a tuffy. Still getting acclimated to this Raleigh heat. I think I would rather think back to when my two boys could ride their bikes down to the river and enjoy playing with their friends at the ole' swimming hole. This was back in NH. Scared me to death each time, but I taught them to swim at an early age. They grow and you have to let them fly.

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  6. LOL, Nancy, I have yet to acclimate to the southern heat, and I've lived in it my whole life! Of course, I swear KY is a smidge cooler than NC, but that just may be my head :)
    I love the thought of your boys peddling down to the water - thanks for sharing!

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