I have declared this the Summer of Freedom. Every year since my first baby stepped bold into our family all joy and determination, summer has mostly slipped by unnoticed. I blame this in part on the fact that there was no such thing as a “school year” for us. Summer wasn’t any different than all the rest of the year besides being hot as blazes.

This year, though, I have set myself firm in freedom. I am letting go of “Gotta get this done,” and “No, because we don’t have time.” I’m holding tight to “Eh, it can wait,” and “I THINK we have some clean clothes to wear.” I’m running hard into a shaving cream slip and slides, swimming ’til we’re wrinkly and sun-baked, and reasons to be grateful in every single moment. I’m going all flip-flips, graphic T’s, and cut-off jeans on mothering and life - and it.is.GLORIOUS.

Isn’t that the beauty of Summer? Built in time to slow down and meander down life’s path a bit. Rainy afternoons made for snuggling on the porch with a blue/green-eyed beauty. Late, lazy evenings where the ice cream goes down smooth, the crickets set the rythm slow, and sweet baby girls play hard into the dusk. A few extra moments to stop and see God’s touches all around us.

I had to do it on purpose, though. I didn’t just slip into freedom like a favorite pair of jeans. I planned for it. We made our list all check boxes, marker scribbles, and leftover stickers. I filled up a Pinterest board and then went and got the goods to make it all come to life.

Freedom doesn’t happen by accident.

I have to choose it every time I see those dust bunnies gathering in the corners of the stairs or hear my voice echo in the undone hall of emptiness. “Relax,” I say one more time, “go have a popsicle and play peek-a-boo with that long-lashed, almost-one-year old cutie.”

Don’t you feel it calling? It’s halfway to school and church and extracurricular chaos and the whole world spinning double time. The Summer of Freedom wants you to dive deep in it’s waters and let its swooshing sound drown out the world for a while.

Choose freedom and embrace it over and over again.