Allie McIntyre

It is summertime, and you have endless free time at your disposal.  You have just gotten out of school, and if you realize you don’t have a summer job or family plans there is nothing to fill your days.  All of this keeps you at a loss about what you are supposed to do with your time.  Although it may be easy to stay inside and scroll through your phone all day, it should be a time of productivity and enjoyment.  You might be thinking of how one should do that.  I am not the best with staying productive, being the chronic time waster I am.  However, I have three ways to beat the summer slump. 

1. Get a job if you can. I have worked as a lifeguard at the Grosse Pointe Woods Pool for the past three summers.  Although it may not have been the most glamorous way to spend my summer, I enjoyed getting to know my coworkers and doing my job.  I learned how to perform CPR and other life saving skills.  It taught me responsibility and allowed me to take pride in my work.  Additionally, the extra money was a nice bonus, especially with college on the horizon for many of us.  
2. Do volunteer work.  This is a way to impact your community and better the lives of those around you.  It can be for the whole summer or just for one week, whatever and whenever you have time.  Last summer, I had a blast on a mission trip with my youth group to West Virginia to repair houses.  The entire trip was transformative, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  I forged friendships with the two guys who were in my youth group, learned new skills, and got to help others. 
3.  Try to clear time to spend with your family and friends.  Especially if you are one of those leaving for college when the summer ends.  It is the relationships with people that make life worth living.  My mom, dad, sister, grandparents, youth group, and other friends have made my life so much more enjoyable, but there have been many times I have not invested enough into those relationships.  Your loved ones won’t always be there, so cherish them whenever you get the chance.  Ask your sibling to play a board game, call up your friend and ask to ride a bike, call your grandparents and ask them about their day, help your mom with the grocery shopping, the possibilities are endless.

Anytime is a time to be cherished.  Summertime is a time of longer sunlit days, so make the most of them.  I am not the best with this, being the chronic time waster I am.  But I am trying to make the most of my time.  It is the one thing you can never get back.  So get outside and enjoy the sunshine.  Take time to rest and recharge, but don’t ever stop your growth potential.