Last week, I went for a morning walk with my kids and my six-month-old and I was shocked by the smell in the air. Very spicy. Very sharp. it is garlic…
We live 15 miles from Gilroy, a small farming town known as the “Garlic Capital of the World.” You can smell garlic early in the morning and late at night. People either love it or hate it, and I love it.
And, as soon as I smell the scent, I’m transported back to the summer after fourth grade.
That summer, my mother decided that my brother and I would play outdoors as much as possible instead of obsessing over the TV in the garage. So she did two things: cut our cables and let us join the local swim team, which practiced Monday through Friday at 7:30 a.m.
As soon as she announced these plans, my brother and I protested: “What do you mean no TV?!” “Swimming at 7:30 in the morning!!!” “How are we going to relax?” “I hate swimming!” But My mom is a “you can’t succeed if you don’t try” kind of girl.
So, for two months, we rolled out of bed every morning and jumped into our brown 1990 Dodge Grand Caravan. As we walked into the outdoor community pool, with its red and blue lane dividers, the first thing I noticed was the aroma of Gilroy garlic. This feels like adding insult to injury from waking up early all summer long.
The first two weeks of swim practice and cartoon-free afternoons feel like the longest. mine. Life. I hate the sting of cold water every morning and miss watching back-to-back episodes of The Powerpuff Girls.
But by week three, things changed. Sliding into the pool starts to feel fun rather than bumpy. When I got home from practice, instead of wondering what shows I had missed, I played some make-believe games with my brother. We’d pretend to be spies, retrieve messages left by James Bond, or just hang out in the front yard, saying hello to elderly neighbors and passing puppies.
To this day, I’m not sure if my mom saw this coming, or if it was a complete fluke, but having us start the day outside and take away the TV set the pace for a childlike slow pace. That summer, we learned to find joy in the ordinary moments. Like an evening bike ride around the neighborhood, or a lime popsicle on a hot afternoon.
My husband and I have several birthday parties and trips planned this summer. But most of all, I want to be able to carve out some days where my kids and I can enjoy the so-cold-they-are-almost-boring summer days. I’m already trying to get us into the habit of taking a morning walk. If we’re lucky, we’ll get out early enough to smell Gilroy’s garlic.
What are your hopes and dreams for this summer? Do you have any plans or rituals? Please share below…
PS Try slow parenting and our very low key summer list.
(Photo by Jimena Roquero/Stocksy.)
