What have you  done this summer that you want to add to your or your family’s summer traditions?

Many of us have great summertime memories.  One of my favorites is chasing fireflies.  The fun of being allowed to be outside and to be running around after dark still makes me smile.

How will you bring that activity into your or your family’s future?

When my sons were little, we would capture fireflies in glass jars covered with lids poked through with holes. Once the lids were secured and the jars were placed on their dressers, they would watch the flies flicker as they drifted-off to sleep. 

Within a few days, requests were made and granted to unscrew the lids and release their new captives in their bedroom. At the time, their request seemed reasonable.  Perhaps it was a way for me to recapture or one-up the excitement of my youth.  Who knows, but no matter the reason, the boys spent many childhood nights delighted to be watching those blinking bugs float about their room.

I know, I know, catching and caging anything makes some folks crazy, but for me, and later my sons the wonder of fireflies was hard to match.

What summer traditions are worth “capturing” and “releasing” into your futures?