Food for the Soul

Summertime always seems to carry an atmosphere of joy and freedom. Whether it's the time spent with family and friends, the escape from school life, or merely the gush of warm weather, there's always something appreciative to be found and basked in.

Similar to a holiday, this particular season just so happens to be one of the most anticipated times of the year. Enveloped in the ripeness of heat, greenery and tantalizing food (both garden fresh and calorie-laced), it's hard not to wish for summer to never end. But alas, there are four seasons, where each must take a turn to showcase itself, and we should savor what time we have with each one.

Often during these precious sun suffused days, I find myself drawn to the outdoors. A long country drive with the windows down, shopping through an array of yard sales and Farmer’s Markets, admiring the way the wind makes the treetops and fields dance… It all complies to form little treasures of memory to reflect on in the future.

Even now, I can remember times of summer’s past, where family barbeques and fish fries were annual, and laughter was contagious amongst us children of the group. It wasn’t uncommon to be found barefoot, running under the shade of the trees and merrily winded, gasping for breath.

Many summers since also hold similarly fond memories; such as, camping trips with my grandparents in July (yes, it was really hot!), attending the local Fair every year and paroozing through the Craft section before hitting up the awesome rides, not to mention the scattering of family picnics at the lakeside. These are all little slices of happiness to reflect on every now and again.

It’s memories like these that make me cherish the moments of summertime and eagerly await its return every following year. I think one of the most fascinating parts of memory is its link to the senses. How hearing Shania Twain’s “I Feel Like a Woman” can instantly transport me back to being four years old in my mom’s car with the radio blaring. Or how smelling certain perfumes remind me of playing dress-up at my grandmother’s house and mistakenly sniffing her old perfume bottle collection (yuck!). It’s the same when revisiting certain things associated with summer.

Like how now I take a country drive and let the wind blow through my hair, and remember singing songs loudly with my sisters at 17. I smell the honeysuckle climbing up hillsides and still smile at how sweet it is (especially compared to the exceptionally fresh cow by-products baking in the fields—that smell still makes me cringe).

I stop by yard sales like my dad did with me and my siblings when we were young and still think of it as a treasure hunt. I look through knickknacks and baubles, wondering how much history is attached to the laid-out items before me. And every time I buy something, I enjoy the thought that, buying such things keeps their meaning alive, and perhaps one day the items I’ve held onto, can continue to have value for someone else as well.

I visit the Farmer’s Market and revel in the heat and aroma of freshly picked fruit and veggies, and the music playing in the background that mingles with the adult chatter and children's laughter. I think about how I used to be one of those carefree children, and how now I'm an adult.

Change is inevitable; but summer somehow reminds you that some things don’t change even when we do. We might grow and adapt, and come to terms with what the world wants from us and what we ultimately want for ourselves. But there are things that remain constant like the changing of the seasons.

Summer is like eating a strawberry dipped in sugar. It's incredibly sweet at the first bite, but leaves a lingering tart note on your tongue until you can have more. But what happens when you've run out? I think the comfort is knowing that there will always be a time where you can get more.

While summer carries a variety of beloved foods, I think it’s the memories made in summer itself that are the favorite food of my soul. And one of the most beautiful things about that is, memories can be accessed at any time. Through the smell of bonfires in the fall, the crystal snowflakes of winter, or the lush budding of spring. Memories can be found everywhere and in anything. Because summer isn't just a season; it's a feeling, it's a memory, it's an experience, that stays with you throughout life.