It’s officially summer vacation for local kids and I envy them, despite the suffering that awaits. If their summer is going to be anything like mine when I was a kid, it meant scraped knees, poison ivy rashes and some intense sun burns. But it was all a small price to pay for some really great times, like bike rides to the store for candy, horseback riding, reading books for hours on end, swimming in the pool, building forts and not even thinking of going indoors except for Kool-Aid and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches; or until mom rang the bell on the front porch signaling it was dinner time. I remember late nights playing flashlight hide-and-seek and all-night Uno in the basement with the occasional “quiet down, down there!” from above, and telling scary ghost stories under the covers until we were too scared to peek out from under them. It made for a great childhood and I hope the kids in our communities have that kind of summer.
It’s so easy these days to get lost in technology and not even realize how much time has passed but we can’t do that to our kids. Because they won’t just lose time, they’ll lose the potential for some great memories (and a few scars). I know that just because kids are off parents still have to go to work, so even if you don’t have fun activities lined up don’t worry, I guarantee your communities do either at the city, library or school. So, make the most of what’s being offered and get them out there to have a summer to remember.
