Parenting Guru: Summer is like a River

Summer.

It's flown by like a river's water. This summer has been a fantastic one of discovery for both my family and me. We enjoyed daytrips, long trips and (for me) an independent trip across the country.

What we've learned, most of all, is that when we take the time to see the beauty and the good in our days, we're happier people.

So, in selecting one photo that summarizes the summer of 2011, I've chosen a picture from my trip to San Diego. It was a time of independence for all of us: I traveled far, alone. My kids spent nearly a week without Mom around. My husband stayed home with the kids, who happened to be sick that week. We all learned our new roles. The beauty in that is that we learned to adapt. We learned to grow. We learned to move on. And the time flowed, like a river.

Summer is also a time to experience outside, and to appreciate our surroundings. With a two year old in tow, we do that, naturally. She's curious 100% of the day. She's always stopping to smell flowers, to touch water, to look at something new. The world is still new to her, just like a river's composition is always new.

Summer is a time for change. It's a time when kids grow, we meet new friends, we create new hobbies. We change. We all do. As does a river.

What object or concept do you feel most describes your summer?

Julie Meyers Pron is a Shine! Parenting Guru and a member of the Y! Mother Board. She blogs daily atJust Precious about organization, fashion, parenting and education... and anything else she feels like chatting about. Follow Julie on twitter and fan her on Facebook. Love what she's writing? Subscribe to her RSS feed.