Written by Online therapist Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst, Ph.D.

A Farewell to Warm Summer Days, Porch Swings, and the Season That Lets Us Breathe

I know you are thinking the same thing. Summer is OVER! No more sleeping in. No more lazy nights. No more ice cream trucks. No more swimming pool. No more porch swing. No more lazy conversations over the back fence.

Summer. Why, why do you have to go?

I really enjoyed lazing around on the porch, listening to Alison Krauss on Sonos and reading a silly novel. I loved going over the bridge to the Eastern Shore for a change of scenery. I even enjoyed it when the Canadian wildfire smoke blanketed the shore. Why do you always have to end? Do you realize what comes next? Oh, yeah, the fall is lovely. I remember flying to New Hampshire one year and being awed by the colors of the trees. It was a perfect painting as the carpet of color unfolded beneath the plane’s wings. Each ball of color was fringed and blended into the ball next to it. Gorgeous. But then, you know what comes next. Ice, snow, sleet. What is the point?

Summer, please come back.

In the summer, you can hit the shore and walk the Boardwalk with an ice cream or cotton candy. In the summer, you can spread the hammock from post to post on the porch and take a nap. In the summer, you can gather flowers from the garden and decorate your table for dinner with friends. In the summer, you can enjoy the rain as it splashes on the patio. In the summer, you can take your kayak and shoot down the Potomac. In the summer, you can wander in Rock Creek Park and find a rare orchard, which you are tempted to dig up but never will. In the summer, you can open the windows at night and feel the breeze take you to sleep. In the summer, you can take your bike on one of the trails or walk the Capital Crescent. In the summer, you can lay a blanket on the lawn at night and watch the stars. If you are careful, you could see a shooting star or two. In the summer, you can take your time.

I know the summer will return. I don’t want to go through the snow shoveling or being plowed in by the snowplow. You know, they used to take the time to clear driveways rather than plowing them in.

I know you will return. I know we will open the porch again. I know the hammock will be waiting.

I don’t want to say goodbye.

Explore related reflections:
The Right Mindset blog
Seasonal reflections
Therapeutic approaches

Learn more from trusted nature and seasonal‑living resources:
Farmer’s Almanac – Seasonal Living
Rock Creek Park – National Park Service
National Weather Service

If you are navigating seasonal transitions, emotional shifts, or the bittersweet rhythm of change, therapy can offer grounding and clarity. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support insight, resilience, and meaningful growth.