And I am pretty nervous. 

 

Are you ready?

 

Over the past four or five months, I have…deep breath…watched all 8 seasons of Bravo’s reality tv show Summer House.

 

8 seasons.

 

17 episodes.

 

Per season.

 

 

 

But know this friends: 

 

 

Let me explain. 

 

 

For two years, if I had to name an overarching goal in my personal work,

it was the ability to “Slow Down”. 

 

But, it was a constant battle. 

Like pushing a boulder up a hill.

Or trying to turn a tanker in the ocean. 

 

Then, this summer, it feels like it kind of clicked into place. I could allow myself to relax. I could take a day off or steal a few “unproductive” hours on the couch when the kids were at camp. I could actually unwind on vacation. 

 

It was pretty revelatory. 

And nice.

And, even though it was what I had been working toward, it was also really uncomfortable at times.

 

 

The familiar voice pops up: “What are you doing? Get up! There are things to be DONE!” It is a voice that is loud and immediate and convincing because I have cultivated it over many years of thinking that way.

 

 

So if you are supporting your teen or young adult or supporting families in your work and you are trying to allow yourself some space to REST, know that it is normal and okay and expected for your brain to find it challenging. 

 

 

And that may be a little scary for your brain. 

Keep at it. It gets easier. 

 

 

There is incredible value in things that help you find relief or unplug or distract. If we drop the guilt part of these “guilty” pleasures, we are left with pleasure- and who among us doesn't need a little more of that these days?

 

Sometimes it is the silliest stuff that gets us through the hardest times. 

 

So read that trashy novel, get super into that true crime podcast or deep dive down that instagram rabbit hole with comedians making wild jokes about why parenting is so hard. We need mental breaks, we need a place for our mind to rest, we need to recharge sometimes, and, as long as what you are doing doesn’t hurt anyone (including yourself), go for it. 

 

Distraction, humor, levity, silliness, escape- there is a place for all of this in our times of pain. I would argue we need it even more in those tough moments. 

 

Go forth. Find your Summer House, whatever that may be. And to trust that, no matter what your summer has looked like, this too, is just a season and a new one is right around the corner.

 

Happy Summer (House-ing) to all of you,

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