Rhythms of Celebration
It is officially summer and I don’t know about you all, but the Richardson family is excited to be here! We’re a family who likes to celebrate, so the end of the school year was a great excuse to pile into the minivan and head over to Chick-Fil-A. We all get in on the fun, from our youngest, who is 1, to our 7 and 8-year-old sons. And parents, I have two words for you: frosted lemonade.
We are what some may call a hybrid-education family. Our boys attend school two days a week and are homeschooled the other three. After the outbreak of COVID-19, our Mondays and Thursdays shifted from the morning chaos of getting the kids to school on time to joining ZOOM calls and navigating the class dashboard. While I did enjoy not having to rush out the door and fight through 30 minutes of traffic, the learning curve was steep.
Whatever schooling looks like in your home, I think, it’s safe to say that it took a lot to conquer this school year. So let’s just stop right here and breathe. Deep breath in, pause, and slow breath out. Now give yourselves a round of applause and a pat on the back because you did it! You made it! And, to those of you who are both parents and teachers, a double high-five!
“Now, more than ever, we need to take the time to reflect and rejoice with our kids.”
It may be tempting to check the box and rush to put this season behind us, but I believe a milestone like this calls for CELEBRATION! Now, more than ever, we need to take the time to reflect and rejoice with our kids. We need to affirm their effort, even if it was frustrating, even if we didn’t always get it right, and especially if it was hard.
Whether you’re ready to get back out there or your family is choosing to lay low for a while, here are some celebration ideas that can be fun for all:
Have a dance party. Toss aside the school supplies and boogie down your way into summer break.
Head out to your favorite place for ice cream or enjoy your own sundae bar at home.
Take a road trip to the Ocala drive-in theater to catch a classic, or rent a movie. Just try not to let one person hog all the popcorn.
Take a celebratory ride through the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru (we may see you there!) or re-create your own CFA meal at home.
Head to the coast for a beach day or get some energy out with a family water balloon fight.
Relax. Celebration can sometimes mean a chill day on the couch (for parents too). Let the to-do list wait.
However you choose to celebrate, hooray for summer for finishing well!
Charyce Richardson and her family attend our Waterford Campus, where she works as the Base Camp administrator. To hear more, or to arrange a Chick-fil-a meet up, contact Charyce at crichardson@summitconnect.org.