For this is one of my favorite times of the year! As a native New Englander, Patriot’s Day marks off the unofficial start to summer! Although I enjoy winter sports (snowboarding in particular), The summertime is a time in which I feel the most joy and happiness. The weather has already begun to get warmer, and the trees and flowers are beginning to bloom again. The Red Sox season is in full swing and the NFL draft is quickly approaching. Although the New Year is in January, at the beginning of each summer I like to think back on the previous year and look forward to the new one.
Life is in an everlasting cyclical pattern, everything is in motion at the same time. If you remember Jaimie Dingus’ poem during the Easter Morning Sunrise Service, there is a sort of rebirth that has begun to happen everywhere.
For me this joy of new birth comes less from a theological standpoint and more of a personal standpoint. I thoroughly enjoy the ornate beauty of this time in the seasons. Everything is warmer and seemingly more accessible. It is almost as if during the summer time the world is at your disposal to do things you could on do the summer prior.
With all this freedom I have some things that I hope to accomplish. I will not go as far as to say all, but most people share at least some of the feelings I have towards the summer months. I think summer is a great opportunity to go out and connect with people; to start interpersonal relationships and reach out to our neighbors. I understand that not all people are compatible, and so not all people will get along. I do not mean to go out and make friends with everyone on the face of the Earth. But, I think it is very important to go and meet new people, form new friendships, or enhance current ones.
Spending time with friends or making new ones can be beneficial both to our spiritual and personal lives. Meeting new people opens up insight into how they may or may not worship. You may meet someone who is from a different religious background than you. This person could be just like you, or not like you at all. That does not mean that you cannot connect with them and become friends. On a personal and social aspect, you may learn something new about the world or find a new way of looking at things.
All in all, this time of year is wonderful! I hope you all enjoy it and set some time aside to be able to go outside, enjoy the weather, and make new friends along the way.