Guys, this summer is FLYING by, is it not? August already? How this possible?
August means 30 more days of summer.
30 days of hair colored lighter by the sun and sand covered toes. 30 more days of lazy hot afternoons and popsicle smeared cheeks.
30 more days of all the time in the world. I guess the only question is, what will you do with them?
Before we let July slip away, let’s take a look back at a few of my favorite moments from our month of diving in.
“I’m at that place: my youngest does not need me quite as much as he used to. Of course all my children “need” me, but not in that visceral and primal way anymore. No more 2 a.m. breastfeeds, no more toilet training, no more watching toddler steps like a hawk. I get to the point of “Now what?” For some it’s just a blip in our thoughts, for others it takes weeks to resolve. Now what?” – Kathrena Rivera, Englufed
“Isn’t this picture the most telling of motherhood? How we run out/around/through whatever it is when we’re worried for our kids, when, sometimes, we’re worried for things that seem really scary in the moment but resolve just fine. How can we know when it’s fine? When we have time to grab a shirt? How can we know if it’s a false alarm? How can we know when smoke is actually fuming, when a blaze is about to spark? How can we know what comes next? We just can’t.” – Anne Flavin, One Day
“And it was with those things in mind that on our most recent date night we stopped into the pet store. If I can't have a baby, then I need something else.” – Jessica Cobb, I Want Another Baby, or, Why We Bought a Fish
“I vowed to myself, there in that kitschy water park, that I won't ever sit on the sidelines again. I won't deny a pool date because I don't want to wear my bathing suit. I won't skip the ice cream with my son when he begs me to eat one with him. I won't enter calories on my phone. I will wear my bathing suit. And I will do it and remember you, the mom at the water park today – and the role model I must be for all my girls.” – Kara Lawler, To The Mom at the Water Park
“My hope is that someone reads Benny's story and realizes that not everyone needs to be on the cover of Vanity Fair to feel validated, to be seen and heard. There are so many more Bennys than Caitlyns. There are so many who live their lives in secret and shame when they deserve to feel love and acceptance.” – Karen Johnson, The Story of Benny, A Man Who Was Never on the Cover of Vanity Fair
“I thought this phase of life was gonna be all sadness and melancholy and nostalgia. I thought the goodbyes to childhood would choke me and that my grief would steal my joy. Nothing could be further from the truth… It's amazing.” – Paige Beselt, To the Mama Afraid of Change
“I know that I have and consequently have thought to myself, Wow, am I doing enough? Am I doing it right? I recently read something that said that if you have ever stopped to wonder whether you’re a good mom, you probably are.” – Morgan Starr, You’re A Good Mom
My wish for you, Mamaloders, is that you bring July’s theme with you into August – that you continue to dive into the everyday. That you take the average and the normal and allow them to be extraordinary. I hope that you take these 30 days, the last ones that summer will allow, and dive in with everything you have.
***
About the Author
