Summer has always been one of my favorite seasons. From as far back as I can remember, the word summer has conjured images of beaches and sunshine, bare feet and homemade icecream. Bicycles and swimming pools, honeysuckle and bumblebees. And I love all these things. It just wouldn't really feel like summer without them.
But I think one of my favorite parts of summer is the nighttime. All the playing is over. All the tourists have left the beach, and the only ones left are the locals, hardcore stragglers going for a moonlit walk on the sand. The littlest are in bed, dreaming of new adventures for the day to come.
Like so many God-given nightlights, the lightning bugs twinkle on and off, enticing children to play, to catch one, just to watch it light up, captive in their hands before it flies away again. Marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars appear around the campfire, ready to tempt even the strongest willpower with the toasty, melty goodness of a s'more...
And the nighttime breeze begins, replacing the sweltering humidity with a cool refreshment. Honeysuckle, night-blooming jasmine, and magnolia drift to scent the night with nature's perfume, while the cool air relaxes and refreshes, and slowly lulls the world to sleep.
This is my favorite time of the day, when the world has settled quietly under it's blanket of night, gently dreaming of the day ahead. This time of day seems to settle peace over my soul, no matter what the challenges of the day have been, no matter what looms over tomorrow. It's such a gift to experience. Such a joy to watch the calm settle on the harried world, and have all the trials of the day melt away in jasmine-scented peace.
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