I don’t know about you but I love summer.

When I was a kid, summer was more than a time away from school. It was the time when days seemed to stretch on forever. When you could lay out in the lush grass and watch clouds float by. You were carefree. Like most kids in the late 80s/early 90s, I didn’t have to worry about checking my cellphone, e-mail, or facebook for messages. If I wanted to get in touch with a friend, I would call them on the phone and we’d schedule things out on paper calendars, not Blackberries or digital organizers. When the days were especially warm, we’d pull out the sprinkler or go to the city pool. The cement was hot but the water was always the perfect temperature. Ice cream and watermelon were staples to my diet. And one of the best things to do was ride bikes around the neighborhood.

As an adult, my summer looks a little bit different. Almost every weekend is booked with weddings, graduations, camp-outs, events and activities. There are so many things that take up space on my calendar. Do. Do. Do. Go. Go. Go.

Recently, I’ve been dealing with a case of acute bronchitis. That means plenty of bedrest and kissing my social life goodbye. I’ve fallen behind my writing schedule. Most of the time I was happy just to breathe and have a quiet room.

Looking back at the last three weeks, I realized that I had the opportunity to just be. Doing was on the backburner. I had time to think. Instead of over-analyzing, I was able to sleep things off. It. was. wonderful.

I’m looking forward to the summer. To the fun times. The golden memories yet to be made. And going into it on the heels of an illness, I feel more centered. More stable. More purposeful.

It’s going to be a good year.