The arrival of summer brings within the debate of yes or no duties. Is summer to rest, to forget about reviews, memorization and problems, or do we buy them a booklet because, for an hour a day, nothing happens to them and what they have learned is reinforced? Would we like our bosses to send us an hour of work a day on our vacation so that we don’t lose our rhythm?
I do not know what you think. If you are from option A, one of those who believe that it is time to rest from what we have been doing, or if you are from the group that considers that dedicating a few hours, during these two and a half months, to reviewing the knowledge covered in class, seems fair and necessary.
Angela, my son Álvaro’s teacher, has sent him a list of tasks for the summer that would achieve an absolute majority among voters, without any doubt. I put it below:
- Swim at the beach, pool, or river.
- Make new friends.
- Laugh a lot.
- Look at the stars.
- Talk about interesting topics.
- Collect shells and special stones on the beach.
- Write a letter to a friend from school.
- Make a dessert.
- Ride a bicycle.
- Eat a lot of ice cream.
- Fly a kite.
- Watch a sunset.
- Play to guess the traffic signs when you go on a trip.
- Build a cabin.
- Walk through a forest.
- Listen to music.
- Play sports, sing, dance and play.
- Look for shapes in the clouds.
- Make a diary of this special summer.
- Don’t worry and be happy.
Yes, I know, right now we are all wishing that Angela would be our teacher, and that she would send us summer to-do lists like this one. Can you imagine? It would be wonderful if this list of duties were assigned to us every summer of our lives, not only to children, but also to adults.
Although, I would add one more slogan: fill your days with love. May not a single day pass without us making a gesture of giving ourselves, dedication and generosity. We only get satisfied, we only manage to appease the soul when we give it away, and summer is the perfect time to taste that pleasure. Make every day count. Don’t let a single day go by without a gesture of affection. This could be a hug to a friend, a smile to a stranger, a word of encouragement to someone who needs it, listening lovingly, once again, to the story that your grandfather already told you more than twenty times. These small acts of love and kindness not only enrich our lives, but also create a positive impact on those around us.
Summer offers us the opportunity to slow down, to disconnect from daily stress, and to reconnect with what really matters. It is the ideal time to practice generosity, and see, perhaps with surprise, that the first beneficiary is yourself. Let’s take advantage of this time to strengthen our relationships, to show gratitude, and to be the best version of ourselves. So, in addition to enjoying all the wonderful activities on Angela’s list, let’s remember to add this special touch: every day, let’s do something for others, a small act of kindness.
This last slogan seems essential and fundamental to me with our teenage children: we must help them dream big in summer, too. Something that cannot be achieved by going from the towel to the cup, and from the cup to the towel. They should integrate collaboration with an NGO in the summer, dedicating a few hours or a few days to helping others. These experiences can be very enriching, fostering a sense of social responsibility and empathy that will last long beyond the summer.
Discovering that there are people who do not have their basic needs covered, and working in the distribution of clothing, in serving a soup kitchen, in the parish or in Cáritas, will teach them valuable life lessons. Helping in a camp for children who are refugees from war will teach them that living in peace is a privileged situation that we must strive to build. That we have and must learn to go hand in hand with those who do not think like us. A lesson that, today, is more reviled than Latin. Therefore, in these last long summers of their lives, if we are going to organize a trip or getaway for them, let us ensure that this plan provides something significant, something that makes them understand that we cannot take anything for granted. For example, a trip to Auschwitz can be a good vaccine against hate and its many derivatives.
Let’s ensure that this summer does not leave them indifferent, that they rest, but that they do not anesthetize their charity, nor their generosity, nor their capacity for wonder with screens and frivolities. Why not?
