Summer Moments: Can We Just Stay Here for a Minute?

The other night, Penny looked at me with complete sincerity and said, “I’m so sad how fast summer is going to go.”

The funny thing was that summer hadn’t even started yet. She still has a few weeks of school left, lunches to pack, library books to return, and all the usual end-of-year activities filling our calendar. Yet there she was, already mourning the end of a season she hadn’t even experienced. At first, I laughed. Then I realized something that stopped me in my tracks: she learned that from me.

As moms, I think many of us live our lives one step ahead of where we actually are. My brain often feels like it’s permanently attached to a calendar. I’m constantly thinking about what’s happening today, what needs to happen this weekend, what appointments are coming up next week, and what preparations need to be made for next month. Sometimes it feels like my mind spends so much time planning the future that it barely gets to enjoy the present.

The truth is, we’re living in a culture that constantly pushes us toward what’s next. Summer hasn’t officially started, yet stores are already filling their shelves with fall décor. I’ve seen pumpkins and cozy autumn displays while I’m still trying to figure out where I stored last year’s beach towels. Movie previews are advertising Christmas releases before we’ve even celebrated the Fourth of July. Play dates somehow need to be scheduled weeks in advance, and social media never lets us forget that there’s always a new trend, a new product, a new routine, or a new opportunity waiting just around the corner.

Without realizing it, we become conditioned to believe that the next thing is always more important than the current thing.

Maybe that’s why Penny’s comment hit me so hard. She wasn’t really sad about summer ending. She was missing a moment she hadn’t even lived yet. And if I’m honest, I’ve done the same thing more times than I can count. I’ve worried about the end of a season while standing right in the middle of it. I’ve stressed about the next school year before the current one was over. I’ve caught myself thinking about August while living in June.

As I reflected on this, I couldn’t help but think about Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:34: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I’ve read that verse countless times, but lately it feels especially relevant. Jesus wasn’t telling us never to make plans. He wasn’t suggesting we ignore responsibilities or stop preparing for the future. Instead, He was reminding us that today’s blessings deserve today’s attention. So often, we carry tomorrow’s worries into today and then wonder why we feel exhausted.

I think summer offers a unique opportunity to practice living differently. There is something about this season that naturally invites us to slow down. The longer evenings, backyard dinners, popsicles on the porch, spontaneous trips for ice cream, and afternoons spent outside all seem to whisper an invitation to be present. Yet even summer can become another item on our to-do list if we’re not careful. We can spend so much time planning memories that we forget to actually experience them.

This year, I’m trying to be more intentional about staying in the moment, and there are a few simple practices helping me do that.

Leave Space on the Calendar

One of the biggest changes I’m making is leaving more space on our calendar. This doesn’t come naturally to me. I love a plan. I love knowing what’s coming and feeling prepared. But some of our family’s sweetest memories have happened when absolutely nothing was scheduled. A spontaneous trip to get ice cream. An evening bike ride through the neighborhood. Running through the sprinkler because it seemed like a good idea at the time. Those moments rarely happen when every minute is accounted for.

Notice the Ordinary Moments

I’m also trying to pay closer attention to ordinary moments. It’s easy to believe that meaningful memories only happen during vacations or special events, but some of the moments I treasure most are incredibly simple. They’re found in conversations around the dinner table, folding laundry together, hearing laughter drift in from the backyard, or watching the evening sunlight spill across the kitchen floor. Psalm 118:24 reminds us, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Not next week. Not next month. This day.

Put Down the Phone More Often

Another challenge for me is putting my phone down more often. I say this as someone who works in a world connected to social media as it can be a wonderful tool, but it can also make us feel like we’re constantly missing something. While we’re enjoying our own family’s summer, we’re simultaneously seeing everyone else’s vacations, parties, projects, and adventures. Before we know it, we’re mentally somewhere else instead of fully present where God has placed us. Sometimes the best thing I can do is set the phone aside and fully participate in the life happening right in front of me.

Practice Gratitude for What’s Right in Front of You

I’ve also found that gratitude is one of the quickest ways to anchor my heart in the present. When I intentionally thank God for today’s blessings, my focus shifts away from what’s missing or what’s coming next. A morning walk, a cup of coffee, a conversation with Penny, a beautiful sunset, or even an ordinary day at home can become a reminder of God’s goodness. Gratitude helps me see that today’s gifts are enough.

Remember That God Is Already in Tomorrow

Finally, I’m learning to trust that God is already in tomorrow. So much of our obsession with the future comes from a desire to control it. We want certainty. We want guarantees. We want to know how everything will turn out. Yet Isaiah 46:10 reminds us that God knows the end from the beginning. The future that feels uncertain to us is already known to Him. That truth doesn’t eliminate planning, but it does free us from carrying burdens that were never ours to hold.

As we head into summer, I’m reminding myself of something simple: I don’t want to miss today’s blessings because I’m busy worrying about tomorrow’s. The calendar pages will keep turning. Summer will eventually end. Another school year will begin. The next season will come whether I’m ready or not.

But right now, there are memories waiting to be made. There are conversations to have, sunsets to watch, ice cream cones to eat, sidewalks to cover in colorful chalk, and ordinary moments to enjoy. And maybe that’s enough.

So when Penny asks what’s happening next weekend, I’m going to do my best to gently remind both of us that we’re still living this one. Because one day, these ordinary days will become the moments we miss most. And I don’t want to spend so much time looking ahead that I forget to enjoy the beautiful life God has placed right in front of me.