I don’t want to admit my age, but I remember the day I realized not all adults get a summer break. I should have known, but it wasn’t until my first year working full-time that it hit me — adulthood kind of sucks the fun out of summer. No sleeping in. No lounging poolside for hours. No daydreaming the day away.
And even still, once I was a stay-at-home mom, I was surprised to find that summer *still* didn’t feel magical. If anything, the pressure to make things magical for my kids made it harder.
I have plenty of experience with disappointment. One of the cons of having an overactive imagination: I get my hopes (way) up. I picture the Pinterest-perfect summer—sunny outings, popsicle smiles, laughter echoing into golden evenings. But reality? Bug bites. Meltdowns. Sticky floors. And a whole lot of laundry.
Add in my perfectionist tendencies, and you’ve got the recipe for disappointment… topped with a generous drizzle of discouragement.
Maybe you can relate?
Maybe you thought this would be *the* summer. The summer you finally lost weight, found your rhythm, took your dream trip, or turned your backyard into a kid-friendly oasis. Maybe you made a checklist of summer goals and now you’re looking at the calendar wondering how it’s already late July and none of it has gone according to plan.
If that’s you, let me gently offer this: Give yourself grace. Real, messy, unfiltered grace.
Sometimes we need to let go of the picture-perfect version of the summer we built in our heads, and instead look for what’s real. The glimmers! Those tiny, sacred moments tucked into everyday.
A quiet cup of coffee before the chaos of the day starts.
The sweet giggles from your children when they’re actually getting along with each other.
The beauty of the sunset God has painted in the sky.
A spontaneous kitchen dance party.
Looking back, I realize that even when I felt like I was failing, when the crafts didn’t get done, screen time got out of control, the house got too loud and cluttered, and I felt too tired to play, there were still glimmers to keep me going. God’s grace was always there, woven quietly into the ordinary.
So, if your summer hasn’t gone quite how you’ve imagined, you’re not alone. You haven’t missed it. It’s not too late! Grace still covers July. And August! And every imperfect, beautiful day in between.
