Earlier this month, I was thinking about how each season is a life of sorts. Summer has alwasy been my favorite season, but as a teacher, each summer day is more urgent than its yesterday because that’s the one opportunity I have each year to live by my own terms. I jot down list after list of things I hope to do and experiences I hope to enjoy, then before I know it, summer is gone in the blink of an eye. Even this year, it feels like I’ve only been out of school for a week, but in reality, it’s day 20 of 75. One-quarter of my summer is gone already. According to my calculation of Summer’s Stages, we are officially in the “Child” Stage. Read on…
The Stages of Summer
Newborn: June 15-23. Summer is new and everything about it is too cute for words. The weather is refreshing and the days are immature. The summer equinox officially happens during the newborn stage, usually when the fireflies’ glow appears near nightfall.
Infant: June 24-30. Summer opens its eyes and smiles for the first time, but can do little else on its own. We must care for it by feeding it, bathing it, and changing it. Summer coos and snuggles in our arms, and as the infant stage ends, it waves bye-bye.
Toddler: July 1-4. The shortest of all stages, it is in this stage when Summer does not follow directions. It is just learning how to walk, run, and eat by itself. Summer begins to run around aimlessly, then ends its spirited toddler stage with a loud, showy, and sparkly display of light.
Child: July 5-15. WE ARE HERE. It is during Summer’s child stage when we start to feel the urgency of each day. During its child stage, Summer provides us with the best local fruit and produce, the song of the cicadas, and the energy of storms when humidity shows up to play with its counterpart, heat. Summer is still adventurous but also mischievous, with long days becoming shorter behind our backs and emotions that can switch without warning.
Tween: July 16-23. Summer is now awkward and stubborn, and at times, it loses its footing. It wants to rush to become a teenager, but we want it to stay young and innocent. We fight back against it and tell it to slow down, but it doesn’t listen and, instead, speeds up. The Tween stage ends before we even know it.
Teen: July 24-31. Summer shows us nothing but attitude during its teenager phase. Bold and all-knowing, it repels any sort of advice or direction with backtalk and sass. It’s best to just let Summer be during this stage, as its instability results in out-of-the-blue storms with dangerous lightning and damaging hail.
Young Adult: August 1-9. Summer has reached its peak of sexual maturity during its young adult stage, but is still temperamental. It’s trying to find its truth and voice from its experience, but is still lost on many fronts. During this phase, Summer attends its last party without realizing it, with brunches replacing keggers and a good night’s sleep supplanting all-nighters.
Middle Aged: August 10-20. Summer is finally wise and authentic. It basks in its glow and has learned from its mistakes. The days shorten still, with each one passing by quicker than its yesterday, while the bug-hum of late-afternoons increases in volume. Summer looks back upon its previous stages with disbelief and utters the phrase “Where did summer go?” on repeat.
Retired: August 21-31. Summer celebrates its freedom and lives each day according to its own schedule after a long and storied career. It keeps active while adhering to a fixed income, which gives it insight about what truly matters. Summer is satisfied while simultaneously enlightened, and doesn’t waste a second of time. We cram as much living as possible into the time we have left with Summer.
End of Life: September 1-Labor Day. Summer knows it will soon pass into fall and accepts its prognosis with dignity. We provide it with as much support as possible for its emotional, physical, spiritual and social needs, so it will peacefully leave us with a trove of treasured memories.
With the time remaining with summer limited, join me in living each day with intention and authenticy. Collect moments instead of likes, and memories instead of things. Every summer has a story, and I vow that my Summer of 2023 will be a bestseller.
Thank you for joining me on my journey. I’m glad you are here.
With light and love,
Jill
“The Stages of Summer” was posted on jillocone.com on July 12, 2023. Views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the writer, who was not endorsed or compensated in any manner by any entity; views do not represent any of my employers. Copyright 2023, Jill Ocone. All rights reserved. Contact Jill with reposting, licensing, and publishing inquiries using any of the links below.
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