It’s easy for summer to rush past in a blur of activity and for the small, meaningful moments to slip away unnoticed. I want my days to be filled with things that will matter years from now. Surrounded by constant inspiration online — with all the amazing makeovers and creative projects — it’s simple to lose sight of the people right beside us. I don’t want that to happen in my life.
One summer a few years back my children and I decided to play tourists in our new “hometown.” We spent the day exploring a wildlife preserve, soaking in the beauty of Hood Canal, and finishing the day in Port Townsend, Washington. It was a day full of simple pleasures and familiar discoveries.
At the end of the day, as we walked back to the car, my three kids moved along the sidewalk in front of me. My daughters walked hand in hand, while my son bounded and hopped beside them. It was an ordinary, quiet moment — but seeing them together like that filled me with emotion. I remember feeling unexpectedly moved, grateful for the small tableau of my children sharing a moment of togetherness.
That snapshot stayed with me, and I wrote about it elsewhere, reflecting on how fleeting summer days can be and how the smallest scenes often carry the deepest meaning. Those tender, unplanned moments — a shared laugh, a linked hand, a child’s light-hearted leap — are the ones I want to choose to remember and to create more often.
So this summer, I’m trying to be intentional: to slow down, notice the ordinary, and celebrate the people beside me rather than only the projects and plans. If you have a fleeting summer memory that made you pause or brought you joy, take a moment to hold onto it. Those little moments become the memories we return to again and again.