Yesterday was the first day I could finally ease into that Adirondack chair and relax. The kids were off playing games in the morning and I indulged into one of my favorite pastimes. Reading. I completed a beautiful book that I need to add to my Worth a Read page called “The Memory of Love” written by a Sierra Leone woman named Aminatta Forna. As you can probably guess by now, I don’t read anything too light and fluffy.

Yet the book truly made me think deeply about so many things in life. How fast time goes. How much we take for granted. How love is everlasting. The cruelty of war, rape and death. How hope and resilience rises above it all. The beauty and power of the human spirit.

Yesterday was hot, sticky and humid here at the lakes. The only thing that felt good was to dive in the fresh, cool waters and let the waves ride over your head. We swam out to the floating raft and joined a group of teenagers playing King of the Raft. Max found it hysterically funny to watch them push each other off, one by one, and go flying into the water. Isn’t that what childhood should be? Fun. Wild. Carefree. Adventurous.

At times I like to get nostalgic and think back to so many special times in my life. My wondrous childhood. My four years at college in Madison, Wisconsin. My time living in France. My years living in the heart of Chicago. And now, my days as a mother, blogger, volunteer, activist and wife. It amazes me how clear these memories are, yet how long ago they seem. It frightens me at the rapid pace of life, of my kids growing up, me getting older and my parents as well. But there is no way to turn back the time. The only thing you can do is enjoy it, reflect on it and take time away to relax.

Here is my picture of the day….sun setting across the old fishing boat before the storms came in. Hope you enjoy!