The Living is Easy?

In my southern family, children were sung "Summertime" as a lullaby. This song, from the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, has a slow, lazy tune and really dated lyrics-good economic times were signaled by the fact that "the fish are jumping and the cotton is high." It comforts the child with the knowledge that everything will be alright if your father is wealthy and your mother is not unfortunate looking ("your daddy's rich and your mama's good looking, so hush, little baby, don't you cry").  All of this adds up to the idea that "the living is easy" in the summertime. Presumably, during the cooler seasons, the parents weren't doing as well in the money or beauty departments.

With apologies to Gershwin, I disagree. Ask any parent (rich or poor, handsome or ugly) who has tried to work out a summer camp schedule for a modern-day child. Coordinating the schedules of the President's cabinet members would be easier. When summer arrives, the whole structure of the school year, as rote as it can become, disappears and chaos reigns. Kids want to stay up until midnight to watch TV, at which time the commercials are more inappropriate than the shows. I know I am up too late when I am invited to call a certain number to meet the "hottest people in town" or to buy "medication" for frightening purposes.

I don't know what I thought the Nativity staff did in the summer before I joined them, but I am amazed at how the work and planning never stops. As for me, I will be focusing on growing Vantage Point (for people who want to become Catholic) and improving that curriculum, growing the Access Point ministry (for new members) and overseeing the publication of a booklet to give those who attend, and improving the fall session of Nativity's 2:24 (for engaged couples preparing for marriage). In between, I'll be continuing with baptismal preparation and prenuptial planning. I'm looking forward to (and am resting up for) being a volunteer for Nativity's Vacation Bible School in a few weeks.

On the law front, I will be doing some pro bono work with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Service in the area of foreclosure prevention (I just had training on this, and it made me wish I had actually read my closing papers when I bought my house).  

I'll attempt to continue my workout schedule, which will make me bathing suit-ready by, oh, November. I have scheduled an open water swim race for mid June. I get myself to exercise by paying money to run far or swim in shark infested waters, and then fear coaxes me to get in shape for these races. It works sometimes (not this time--haven't been in the pool in weeks).

I don't do well with long periods of nothingness. God knows this, so he has gifted me with some satisfying work, but has also challenged me to keep my schedule feasible. I am sandwiching a vacation in there-beach time with family and friends, but otherwise, it's challenging as usual.

So, I must disagree. It's summertime, and the living is not easy. But it is satisfying. Bring it.