Summer Heat 2024

When I was a kid, Summer was spent doing our best to find fun ways to stay cool. Dips in the kiddie pool, popsicles, and running through the sprinkler were the popular solutions to the heavy humidity that weighed us down. Living near a lake for part of my childhood also helped. My family is big into water activities, including going to the local beach, and boating when we get the chance.

Now that I am older, I don’t run through sprinklers anymore. (Bad knees) I mostly only dip my feet in the kiddie pool to cool down. Popsicles will never go out of style, but I much prefer ice cream. Trips to the local beach have become fewer and far between, but they certainly hit the spot when I do get to go.

I recently went to the beach to celebrate W.’s 5th birthday, one of my best friends children. He had a blast getting to swim in the lake with his friends, and play in the sand. I was one of the few adults with a full swim suit on, because when you go to the beach, you wear a suit in my family, so I was out in the water with the kids to make sure they stayed safe as they went deeper. The water certainly helped me not feel the sun’s heat as much. (I will be forever grateful to my parents for the swimming lessons growing up. They really help in moments like that.)

What I didn’t notice while at the party was how red my skin was getting. I did apply sunscreen part way through the event, but I was too late. When I got home, I was already feeling the tender spots on my shoulders and back. My face was pretty red as well. Thankfully I normally recover fairly quickly from sunburn. I am already back to normal, and it has only been a week, only a little bit of pealing.

Taking care of my sunburn is what reminded me of those long summer days when we would spend so much time in the sunshine, but it felt like those nasty UV rays couldn’t touch us. Maybe my parents were more liberal with the sunscreen than I remember.

Today is going to be another warm day, so make sure you stay hydrated and protect your skin from those UV rays.