Summer Simplicity

True abundance, legacy, and purpose live in life’s simplest moments

Hanging downtown in Wolfeboro, NH (Photo belongs to the author)

Money was not abundant growing up, but I don’t really remember that impacting my childhood. In my adult life, I can now understand the sacrifice and effort it took to make me and my four siblings and feel like we did live in abundance. I now have the knowledge to empathize with the fact that although social media didn’t exist, hearing about our friends’ family vacations may have sparked some jealousy, frustration, maybe even shame within my parents. That would be only human. The thing is, though, we never knew. Now that I have the awareness that my parents were just like I am now- imperfect humans doing the best they could with what they had- what they did amazes me. I have the kind of parents who’d take us on a “Mystery Ride” and we’d end up at Kelly’s Roast Beef on Revere Beach. I have the kind of parents who made my Great Uncle Buddy’s red log cabin in the woods of Wolfeboro, NH feel like an all inclusive tropical vacation. We’ve never flown anywhere together, but I rarely felt like I was missing out.

Our summers were simple. Our summers were abundant. Our summers were so much fun.

The youngest of the five when our pool was on its last leg (note the duct tape). Photo belongs to author

The Pool

• One summer, we got a ten year old hand me down above ground pool from a neighbor. The adults in the neighborhood helped install it. The kids stood in anticipation on the dry lining while the green garden hose filled it up for the first time. I wore goggles just in case.
• Wearing our bathing suits all day, switching from the pool to the yard.
• “STOP SPLASHING ME!”
• My mom on her float. She’d move as the trees covered it with shade to soak up every last ray of sun. Then, she’d move to the yard. Always chasing the sun.
• Her tan
• When she would get off of her float to make a whirlpool with us. She was so good at that.
• The way my dad would hold his nose with two hands to dunk underwater.
• Him mowing the lawn
• “HE STOLE MY GOGGLES!”
• My mom asking us, “did you put the pool ladder up?” (She’d always check it herself regardless of our answer).
• The rare occasion that we heard “yes” to the ice cream man. Chasing him.
• Sandwiches, Lays chips, and Ssips iced tea
• Freeze pops

A rare sighting of my dad floating (Photo belongs to author)

THIS was living (Photo belongs to author)

Wolfeboro, NH

• The pre-vacation library trip. My childhood version of the perfect TJ MAXX haul.
• Uncle Buddy’s red log cabin
• The long dirt road that we’d take to get to said cabin on Lake Wentworth. We found out much later in life that my mom was scared sleeping there- she faked it well
• Thinking the next door neighbors must be rich because they had a dock
• Bedtime Magic on the ride home from “downtown”
• The time we met a dog named Bailey who I assumed was lost. I really thought we were going to take him home. Much to my disappointment, his owners took him home.
• Using the binoculars to see if we could see the kids at the sleep away camp on the other side of the lake
• Wondering what sleep away camp was like
• Crewnecks at the sweatshirt store
• Those wish bracelets with the color beads
• Never finding my name on any kind of trinket
• Going on the Mt. Washington boat in my matching windbreaker “set”
• Getting dressed up for dinner
• My dad taking us out two at a time on Uncle Buddy’s rowboat
• My mom laughing at my dad taking us out on the rowboat
• The videocamera on her shoulder
• “THE NEIGHBORS CAN HEAR YOU FIGHTING!”
• Happy hour with pub cheese
• Reading my library books on the beach (the very small plot of rocky sand at the lake)
• Tracking my minutes on the library summer reading log
• “THE NEIGHBORS CAN HEAR YOU PLAYING THE PIANO!” (playing is a kind way to describe what we were doing to that poor piano)
• Playing Password. My mom and I were the best partners
• The old books and maps that Uncle Buddy had
• My parents pushing two twin beds together
• The bunk beds in the “kids room”
• “THE NEIGHBORS! NOISE TRAVELS ON THE LAKE!”
• The rotary phone
• Matching pink sunglasses over sunburnt noses
• Ice cream with sprinkles

Abundance doesn’t have to mean money.

My parents provided abundance in the form of a hand me down pool and Uncle Buddy’s red cabin in the woods.

Legacy and purpose don’t have to mean changing the world or fame.

My parents have created legacy and purpose through connection, experience, creativity, humility, sacrifice, safety, laughter, and love.

Their legacy and purpose rest in the five people they raised to show grace to a server who appears to be weeds, to quietly tell the stranger she has lipstick on her teeth, to shake hands with your opponent, to run (not walk) on and off the field, to win without bragging, to lose without blaming someone else, to be honest even when lying would be easier, to never throw your bat or stick, to not slam the door, to leave the house they’re babysitting cleaner than they found it, to respect teachers always, to forgive themselves and others, to patiently wait in line, to root for the underdog, to be last sometimes, to send thank you notes, to stand up for themselves, to see people’s humanness, to choose words that they are proud of.

Into Big Feelings? Or maybe you prefer to dabble in smaller ones (I’m here for ALL OF ’EM) Follow me here on Medium.

Stay wild, friends.