Someone recently asked me, “What were you up to this summer?”
And I froze.
I knew there wasn’t a dull moment all season, but I couldn’t sum it up in a headline moment or a neat little answer. It all just felt like a busy blur. I paused and asked myself out loud, “Huh…what have we been up to?”
Later that night, unsatisfied with my response, I scrolled back through my photos trying to piece together the season.
As I flipped through the snapshots, it hit me:
This summer was special. Not because of one big thing, but because of a thousand little ones.
Kickball and soccer in the backyard.
Bike rides and family walks.
Park mornings and Saturday swims.
Lunches in Downtown West Chester.
Friday family movie nights on the deck.
Impromptu dance parties on the deck.
Wrestling matches and gymnastics competitions in our PJs.
Beach time with best friends.
Boat rides and backyard barbecues.
Working together in the yard.
Slip & slides, sprinklers, water balloons, trampolines, moon bounces.
A Phillies game, the Zoo, and the Goshen Fair.
A mile-long trek through the creek with Jack.
Charlie’s first summer full of camps (and her first on-stage performance).
Payson always keeping up with the big kids.
Family reunions, graduations, a college send-off for my niece, and a brand-new nephew joining the family.
And in between all the highs, there were the lows:
Early wake-ups and never-ending bedtimes.
Daily meltdowns, sibling fights, and hourly snack raids.
Crumbs throughout the car, weeds in the yard, laundry piling up in the house.
The dishwasher always running.
Crafts and Legos all over the counter.
Kids pushing buttons and begging for treats.
Ice-cream stains on shirts, Band-Aids in the trash, and spilled bubbles in the driveway.
Dirty footprints on the stairs.
Tired and defiant kids challenging exhausted and frustrated parents in a constant swirl of chaos…where the kids often seem to come out ahead.
And I’ll admit, sometimes amidst the whirlwind and the blood pressure spikes, it can be hard to pay attention to the joy you’re actually experiencing. Ninety-some hot and sunny days as a family of five, full of highs and lows, has a tendency to blur together the fleeting moments.
But these fleeting moments are also what bring life to life.
As I took a second to look through the photos, I remembered: damn, that was a pretty good summer. And who knows if we’ll get another one quite like it.
That’s why I reflect through this forum.
To find the beauty amidst the busy.
The joy amidst the struggle.
The clarity amidst the chaos.
Because before long, seasons will change. We wont be ending our summers by dropping our kids off at the bus stop.
We’ll be ending our summers by dropping our kids off at college.
And on our drive home from whatever University, we might ask ourselves: “Remember that Summer back in ’25?”
And I’ll want to remember how it felt to watch Charlie perform Moana at Stage Light camp or the joy on her face after shopping with Mimi or Nona.
And the way Jack giggled when he barrelled down the slip & slide or blew by me on the soccer field.
And when Payson would “hop like a bunny” on the deck or squeal when the Tiger walked by at the Zoo.
The next time someone asks me, “How was your summer?” I’ll be ready with a better answer.
Because I have all the material I could ask for.
The Janiec Reflection 
wow! You make me cry every time. I am amazed at how well you put your thoughts on paper. You will be so grateful you took the time to write these reflections when your babies are grown! Well done, Kevin!
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