Lounging by the lake under the beaming sun… jogging in the woods… eating melt-in-your-mouth barbecue and baked beans.

Such are the sights and sounds of summertime Bliss.

Better yet are the feelings of serenity and love with family and friends at the Up North sanctuary that is our cottage.  Because it’s the hugs, the laughs, the sense of belonging and the deep history that transform simple summer fun into profoundly memorable snapshots in a life.

For my 10-year son on the eve of fifth grade, it’s spending a summer weekend with his best buddy on the lake.  Splashing in the water.  Slicing through the lake on a jet ski and in a boat.  Going for ice cream and bowling with Mom and Gramma.  Making gooey s’mores on the campfire.

For my mother, it’s retreating from the big city pressures of the bustling courthouse to bike ride around the lake… entertain friends on the deck… and indulge in the sheer bliss of the gently rocking porch swing.
For me, it’s tapping into the stillness and silence of the woods, to turn my turbo-charged brain to the Peace & Relaxation Channel.  After a super stimulating week, it felt amazing to stay up ’til 2 watching movies, then sleep ’til 11!  Best of all–refusing to let anything clutter my thoughts except how happy my son’s laughter sounded, or how delicious those ribs were, or how relaxed my mother looked sitting on the deck.

As I get older, I am ever more appreciative of our summertime weekend getaways at the cottage my grandparents built in the 1950s.  Each euphoric moment of summertime bliss makes a big deposit in my personal accounts of well being and life well lived.  Then, during moments of stress, I can make withdrawals to balance things out.  Or I can simply take a mental perusal of this glorious portfolio of phenomenal memories, and look forward to next year’s utopic trips north.

After this Labor Day weekend, my spirit is rich with love and gratitude for three days’ worth of living life to the fullest.  And so, as we packed up and pulled away this afternoon, ready to return to the city, I felt rejuvenated and recharged, ready for a busy and productive new month… thankful that finding my daily bliss makes an impact for a lifetime.

Posted: September 2nd, 2008 under The Bliss Report.
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