World of Writer Mom: Fireflies in a Baby Food Jar (and other summer time memories...) 2023 update

Fireflies in a Baby Food Jar
and other summer time memories...

(originally published August 1, 2019)

by: M.B.Varville-Rodriguez

Summer time as a child felt like the release of a long breath after diving into the deep end of a pool. It was inhaling deeply upon coming back to the surface and looking up to the sun. There was this feeling of being released from winter's wrath, school days, and the pressures of homework when you'd rather play. Summer time was magic, and felt like it would never end. Sometimes I have a need to remember those moments, and realize my children deserve these stress free times too. Here are some of the things I loved as a child...

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1. The sound of morning, unhurried, as you slowly awaken and realize there is no need to get ready for school.

2. Dressing in shorts, t-shirts, and sandals instead of the school uniform: blue plaid jumper over a crisp, white, peter pan collar blouse, and a red criss-cross tie that felt like it was choking you.

3. Filling the red, Kool-Aid canteen (ordered by mail) with water and riding all over the neighborhood on a banana seat bike with the weird handlebars.

4. Swim lessons at the local school where you challenged yourself to see how far you could make it across the pool to earn your certificate.

5. Going to the park where you could play forever on the swings and slides while your dad played basketball with whomever was on the court at the time.

6. Collecting aluminum cans so they could be recycled for a little extra spending money. One summer, we filled garbage bags with beer cans collected from the local park after ball games. The entire garage smelled like stale beer, but my parents still let us do it. It was a great day when we loaded up those bags and took them to the recycling center.

7. Walking to the 7-11 for slurpees (icee drinks) with my siblings. That money from those recycled beer cans had to be spent!

8. Weekly trips to the library where we loaded up on books. There was never a shortage of adventures and imagination thanks to reading all summer!

9. Late nights (at least to us) where we played outside until the street lights came on. Collecting lightening bugs in baby food jars helped us learn about science, nature, and that lightening bugs really do need to be freed before going to bed. They are not, in fact, a night light. But as a kid, you wished you could take them to your room and watch them until you fell asleep.

10. Falling asleep to the sound of crickets and a fan whirring near an open window (because we didn't have air conditioning) after a bath and clean jammies. That feeling of contentment was priceless, only we didn't realize it at the time.

Life isn't perfect. There are moments when you wonder how your family ever got through things as a child. Then as an adult you have those same concerns about making it through those tough times. That is when it helps to remember the pleasant, peaceful, childhood memories of summer time freedom, carefree days, and the nightly fireflies in a baby jar kind of moments.