SUMMERS QUIET MIDDLE

It’s hard to believe that summer is already slipping away.

The Fourth of July has come and gone, and somehow Labor Day is already peeking over the horizon. We’re in that curious in-between season, not quite the beginning of summer anymore, but not yet ready to welcome fall.

I’ve always liked this time of year.

Many people have escaped to wherever summer calls them. Some are vacationing at the beach. Others have retreated to summer homes in Colorado or Montana, trading Texas heat for mountain breezes and cool evenings. Social media fills with pictures of lakes, hiking trails, and pine trees.

Finding Comfort in Staying Home

Me? I stay in Dallas.

There’s something comforting about being here during these quieter weeks. The city seems to exhale just a little. The roads are less hurried, parking lots are a bit easier to navigate, and for a brief moment I’m reminded of Dallas years ago, before the population boom, before traffic became an everyday expectation, before every calendar seemed overbooked.

It feels familiar.

Slowing Down to Notice

Perhaps it’s nostalgia.

Or perhaps it’s simply gratitude.

As we grow older, seasons seem to pass more quickly than they once did. Summer vacations that once felt endless now seem to disappear in the blink of an eye. We measure time by holidays, school calendars, and family traditions instead of endless afternoons.

But maybe that’s why this quiet middle of summer is so special.

It asks very little of us except to notice.

Notice the ripe peaches. Notice the slower commute. Notice the children catching fireflies, the dogs enjoying an extra-long evening walk, the hum of cicadas that somehow defines a Southern summer. Notice the extra daylight lingering just a little longer.

Every Season Has Its Own Beauty

Before long, backpacks will replace beach bags. Football will return. Pumpkin displays will appear where watermelons once stood, and our calendars will once again fill with meetings, obligations, and holiday planning.

Until then, I’ll enjoy Dallas exactly as it is.

A little quieter.

A little slower.

And just nostalgic enough to remind me that every season has its own kind of beauty.

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