Summer of Slow
Have you seen the trend about millennial parents wanting to give their kid’s a 90’s summer? Just thinking about my summers as a child gives me butterflies — the happiest, most simple times. I took a stab at bringing some of that feeling back over Memorial Day when I took social media off my phone for the weekend. I was amazed at how many times I went to open up the apps without even realizing it - like muscle memory. It actually scared me how many times I tried to start scrolling without even realizing it. Technology is great (in moderation) and I am forever grateful that I get to be a mom in the age of Instacart, Amazon Prime, and Blink doorbells. But it wasn’t until I took social media off my phone that I realized how desperately my overstimulated mind was craving some time away from the bottomless pit of the algorithm induced addiction we’ve all fallen subject to.
Is it just me, or did time feel “slower” back in the 90s? Was it because we were little or because we were living our lives free from the screen (not counting Nick at Nite :))? I can still hear the AC humming while we ate freeze pops and sat on the couch watching the latest “Disney Original” after a long day of running through the sprinklers and too much sun. We’d spend hours at the pool, listening to the same Top 40 songs played over the muffled loud speaker as we huddled under our towels during rest breaks. It’s funny how I can remember the summers of my childhood with such clarity but when I think back about summers in adulthood, they all seem fuzzy. Could it be because my attention was split between my real life and the life that exists on my phone?
I’ll say this - I loved my 1990’s Memorial Day weekend. It was still busy and hectic and there were still temper tantrums and stressful moments but I was 100% there. It felt good to be all in. It felt good to give my mind some empty space. There were moments when I didn’t quite know what to do with myself.. and that’s okay. That’s when creativity creeps in. That’s when God’s voice can be heard. That’s when the magic happens. I’d like nothing more than to have a slow, simple summer. I want to have picnics, pick berries, make jam, hold my babies in the pool, sew aprons, walk in the river, play outside and watch my garden grow.
Another thing I started doing was just taking more photos of my real life. Sometimes, the last thing I want to do is pick up my camera and add to my editing backlog. But I know I’ll look back and wish I took more pictures of our life at home. So every Friday for the summer, right before I log off social media, I’m sharing images from every day life at home… the type of images that first inspired me to start this journey I’ve found myself on. Below are some snippets of our summer so far. Taking a step away from the “perfectly curated” instagram grip and stepping into one that is more so a reflection of real life has made me fall in love with photography all over again.
So for the next few months, I’m going to do my best to give myself and my family a good old fashioned 1990’s summer (minus the artificial dyes, bath & body works products, highly processed foods lol). I’m going to put down my phone and pick up my camera. Unplug from technology and plug into my life. Babies and summer are two things that just don’t keep. I’m determined to not let this fleeting season in life slip through my fingers because my hands were holding my phone instead of my kid’s tiny fingers. My wish for you all moms, is the same. Let’s let go of keeping up with everyone for a little while and instead work on keeping up with our growing babies <3
