The Summer List I Never Wrote

Crazy as it seems, another summer has slipped by, and there are a few things I really wanted to do that simply didn't happen.

And yes, I'm a little cheesed off about it.

Why summer plans slip away

Some plans fell through because of timing. Others depended on weather that refused to cooperate. And some never stood much of a chance, because I kept the list in my head, where it was apparently sharing space with far too many other things.

I meant to write it down. I meant to make the arrangements. I thought there would be another sunny weekend, another opportunity, another day when everything lined up.

Then suddenly, here we are.

Summer feels so generous at the beginning, doesn't it? Those long evenings make it seem as though there will be time for everything. By the end, I'm wondering how all those weeks managed to pass so quickly.

I can write the list now

I was sitting with that frustration when another thought occurred to me: I can write the list now.

I still remember what I wanted to do. In fact, I probably remember it quite clearly because I'm annoyed that I missed it! So why leave those ideas floating around in my head for another winter?

My list for next spring and summer is going somewhere I can see it, front and centre in my office. When the time comes to make a booking, choose a date or invite someone along, I'll have a reminder waiting for me.

How to write a summer list that actually happens

1. Write it while you're still annoyed. Disappointment is a wonderful memory aid. Use it before it fades.
2. Keep it short. Five to seven things you truly want, not twenty you feel you should.
3. Put it where you'll see it. On the fridge, by the desk, or the first page of a journal. A list in your head is a list you'll forget.
4. Give each idea a month and a first step. "Book the cottage: February." "Ask Linda about the berry farm: May." Plans with a first step tend to happen.
5. Add a rainy-day backup date. The weather will continue to have its own opinions, so give it a second chance.
6. Leave room for surprises. Some of the best summer days are the ones nobody planned.

A few ideas to start your list

If your mind goes blank, borrow some of these: a picnic at a beach you've never visited, a day trip to a nearby town, an outdoor concert, berry picking, a long lunch on a patio with an old friend, a swim in a lake, an evening walk after supper, a night sleeping with the windows open, a fire with marshmallows, or finally learning to paddleboard.

Carrying a little summer into winter

I don't know about you, but summer gives me a bit of an energy boost. The light, the warmth, those sunshiney days make me feel more hopeful. I like to think I carry some of that feeling into winter, especially when it starts to seem a little too long.

A summer list helps with that. On a grey February afternoon, there's something cheering about researching a day trip or picking a date for next July. It gives winter something to look forward to.

Disappointment and gratitude can sit together

Once I stopped going over everything I hadn't done, I began to appreciate the summer I'd actually had.

There was joy in it. There were days worth remembering, even if they weren't the ones I'd planned.

I can wish I had done a few things differently and still feel deeply grateful. Both feelings belong here.

Having another summer to enjoy is a privilege. So is being able to sit here and imagine what I might do with the next one. I don't want my disappointment over a few missed plans to crowd out that gratitude.

So I'll write my list while the ideas are fresh. I'll keep it where it can gently entice me as spring approaches. And I'll leave some space for whatever lovely, unexpected things turn up along the way.

For now, I'm feeling very blessed to have had another summer of joy.

Was there something you hoped to do this summer that didn't happen? Perhaps this is a good time to write it down, while you still remember how much you wanted to do it.

— The Dancing Sage