Savoring the Last Days of Summer

As sweaters and ankle boots begin to appear in stores, and the smell of pumpkin spice fills every coffee shop, it feels as though Southern California hasn’t gotten the memo that fall will soon be here. With temperatures forecasted to reach well into the 90s this weekend, it’s hard not to wish for the crisp air and coziness that comes along with autumn. It’s always the same: wishing for the next thing while forgetting to embrace the current thing.

This year, I made a pledge to enjoy the seasons while I’m in them instead of looking ahead. Time goes by in an instant, and before we know it we’ll be in the middle of winter, longing for colder days. Summer can be hard to embrace at times. We live in a very old house with little insulation and at times the heat can be stifling. In previous years, we’ve sat around complaining, but this year we’ve woken up extra early so we can fill up our little kiddie pool and spent those days sitting in chest-deep in water relaxing the day away. When the heat feels oppressive, we head to the beach so we can feel the ocean breeze on our faces.

On this long weekend, the one most deem the official end of summer, we will head to our local street fair. Every year we say it is too hot, too crowded, too sticky, and yet every year we happily walk the 10 minutes it takes to get there, grab our favorite fair food (a gyro for my husband, teriyaki chicken on a stick for me), and join the hundreds of other people who are there to do the same.

As summer continues to wind down, we will look for other ways to appreciate it. Dinners on the patio. Backyard bonfires late into the night. Sleeping with the windows wide open. Long drives with the wind blowing in our hair. Fall will be here soon, but for once we’re not ready for it. Not just yet.

Christen Hammons is editor-in-chief of Bella Grace. She lives in Orange County with her husband, two sassy cats, and one scruffy dog.