Fireflies and flip-flop strap tanlines

Tonight while driving home from a lovely evening with my two friends, I saw fireflies.  Surely a sign of summer, these delightful insects bring about a smile to my ridiculously cute face.  Their twinkle remind me of days gone by when I would race around the yard, scrambling to grab at these treasures, shove them in a Mason jar, screw the lid on tight, use a screwdriver & hammer to tap holes in the lid, and then sit and stare as these magical bugs lit up our nights.


Fireflies, for me, are summer.  Pure and simple.


Another sign that it's summer...flip-flop strap tanlines.  It's funny that the tops of our feet can get tanned.  I always forget to apply sunscreen on the tops of my feet.  I remember my shoulders, my face, my back, my arms, and on occasion my legs.  But never do I remember the tops of my feet.  This morning as I was sitting on my bed contemplating what to wear to work, I glanced down and saw this sure sign of summer...a faint 1/2-inch tan line that was across the top of my feet.  It made me smile.


Lastly, when I think of summer, I think of the lake.  Sitting on a dock, dangling my toes in the water, reading something fabulous.  I remember spending a summer babysitting some miscreants.  The only reason I took the job was because they lived on a lake.  It was fabulous.  The boys were older so they always wanted to hang-out at their friends house. I was at their house (in the words of their mother) "in case someone got hurt."  Thankfully I don't recall anyone getting hurt.  That summer was monumental for me...I remember reading North and South and getting a nice tan.  Oh to have carefree teenage summers...(sigh)...  Actually NO -- I do not wish to re-live my teenage years.  They were fine the first time around.  If I could go back though, I would tell myself a couple of things...


A) that boy that broke your heart (for the 1st time) isn't worth the tears you shed;
B) stop working so hard to sit at the "cool" kids table -- your real friends are the geeks and nerds that love you because you are YOU;
C) it's ok to cry and be compassionate -- no matter what the Greep boys tell you;
D) stick with Spanish II...it will come in handy when you work at the sewer plant [LOL!];
E) one day it will be super cool that you were in the marching band;
F) geeks are cute [as you always have suspected];
G) you will get your heart broken by boys, but God will always be faithful and loving;


and lastly...


H) read more Classics!!!