The Vocation of Summer

As we steadily move into summer, my absolute favorite time of the year, I always want to take a minute and reflect on what I want from this season as a mom, a human and a professional. I love the slower pace of summer and intentionally carving out time to spend with my now 10-year-old son. I am acutely aware that the years I have to spend with him while he still adores me and wants to cuddle are dwinding. I want and need to make the most of every moment. It means my work load is always more flexible in the summer. I'll spend almost every day at the pool (even taking meetings there), and my family will be the center of my focus in an even more intentional way than it is during the busy of the school year.

With my favorite little dude on opening day at the pool

This season has me taking stock of the rest of my life too and thinking about the future of my professional life and things about which I am passionate. I'm preparing to take on a large new project in a few weeks, and I am so excited to continue to focus on and give back to this community I love so much. If you know me you know that I not only love Lansing, but I am a huge champion for this community. No community is perfect, but I choose to be intentional about celebrating what's great while we continue to work, all of us, together, on things that need to be improved. If anyone thinks it's their sole job to make this community better, they're wrong. And we'll all fail. It's a team effort. 

I'm entirely over any negative talk about the community. You don't want to be here? Then don't be. But if you're here, and we're all here for a reason, let's work together to celebrate the many things about this community that bring us joy. 

I realized recently that working hard for this community isn't simply my profession; it's my vocation. I have put in so many hours (for which I haven't even been paid) because it's important. I do it because I believe in it. And I've chosen to surround myself with other evangelists who want what's best for our community too. As I slide into the slower pace of summer, I will also be focusing on this important work of spreading word about why I'm here and why I've chosen this place as my home.

Celebrating our community by volunteering for the Lansing Parks Foundation

I want to be hyper focused on gratitude this summer. Of course I love thank you notes and outward expressions of gratitude, and that will remain consistent. I also want to focus on being internally grateful for things like my body. Instead of beating myself up for being shaped differently than I want to be, I'm going to celebrate this body that has been so strong for me. It's withstood surgeries, brutal hospitalizations, more procedures than I can name, torn tendons and muscles and more. And yet today when I did a tough sprint interval workout (yes, with a partially torn hamstring), my body showed up for me. It exceled. I've struggled with body image since before I was a teenager, and instead I'm going to focus really hard on being grateful for all my body has given me.

I had to go up a size for this jumpsuit. As first I beat myself up,
but then I realized I am done with this. I feel great in it. 
That's what matters.

I want to be present and enjoy all the things that make summer amazing: afternoons with wine at the pool, hot early mornings, the smell of a great thunderstorm, late nights with friends on the porch and more. This summer I'm going to be intentional, grateful and present for all of the things. Come join me on the porch for a toast as we celebrate our community, gratitude, and friendship.