Pull Up a Chair: July 10, 2026

Well friends, another Friday has rolled around, and I have reached that point in summer where I am no longer asking how hot it is outside. Instead, I simply assume the answer is “too hot” and plan my day accordingly.

July has settled in fully now. The Fourth of July decorations have been packed away, the leftovers are long gone, and we have entered what I like to call the “middle stretch” of summer. The excitement of the holiday has passed, the novelty of summer has worn off a little, and now we’re all just trying to make it through the heat with our sanity and electric bills mostly intact.

Honestly, I think this is the most honest part of summer.

Life at Shady Pines

The free-range seniors continue to provide entertainment on a near-daily basis. This week’s recurring theme was weather-related complaints, which is impressive considering everyone had slightly different complaints.

One person was upset because it was too hot.

Another was upset because the air conditioning was too cold.

A third person insisted it wasn’t actually that hot because “it used to be worse.”

This statement was immediately challenged by everyone else in the room.

As you can imagine, no agreement was reached.

There was also a lengthy discussion about whether anyone actually needed to go outside this week. The general consensus seemed to be that unless a building was on fire or someone was giving away free ice cream, there really wasn’t much reason to venture out between noon and six o’clock.

I can’t say I disagree.

This Week in the Wilderness

This week felt strangely busy despite not having anything major on the calendar. It was one of those weeks where life seemed to be made entirely of little tasks.

• Answer an email.
• Pay a bill.
• Make a phone call.
• Fold a load of laundry.
• Start dinner.

Repeat.

It’s funny how exhausting the ordinary things can sometimes be. None of them are particularly difficult on their own, but when they all stack up together, they can make a week feel surprisingly full.

I also had one of those moments this week where I looked at my to-do list and realized I had spent so much time maintaining life that I hadn’t really taken time to enjoy it.

That seems to happen more often than I’d like.

The Mid-Summer Reality Check

When summer begins, we all have these grand visions of what it’s going to look like. We’ll spend more time outside. We’ll tackle projects. We’ll read more books. We’ll organize things. We’ll finally get caught up.

Then July arrives and reality politely reminds us that life still has other plans. The funny thing is that summer never ends up looking exactly like I imagined it would, but somehow it still manages to be good. The projects don’t all get finished.

The house doesn’t stay perfectly clean. The schedule doesn’t magically become stress-free. But there are still good moments woven throughout it all. A funny conversation at the dinner table. A good book on a quiet afternoon. A cold piece of watermelon after being outside too long. A phone call from someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Those things count too.

A Few Things Making Me Smile This Week

I’ve been appreciating summer mornings lately. Not the early alarm clock part of them, but the brief window before the day fully wakes up.

There is something peaceful about sitting with a cup of coffee while everything is still quiet. The birds are busy. The air hasn’t turned into soup yet. The whole world feels a little calmer for a few minutes.

I’ve also been enjoying all the fresh produce this time of year. Tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes. Peaches that drip down your arm if you’re not careful. Watermelon that disappears almost as quickly as you bring it home. Summer may be hot, but at least it feeds us well.

A Little Perspective

One thing I’ve been reminding myself lately is that not every season of life is supposed to be extraordinary. Sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to create memorable experiences that we forget to enjoy the life that’s already happening.

Most of life is made up of ordinary days. Ordinary conversations. Ordinary meals. Ordinary moments. And yet when we look back years later, those are often the things we remember most fondly. I think there is something comforting about that. It means we don’t have to wait for the perfect vacation, the perfect opportunity, or the perfect circumstances to enjoy our lives. We can appreciate them right now.

Before You Go

As we settle into the heart of July, I’m trying to let go of the idea that summer needs to be productive in order to be worthwhile. Maybe it’s enough to enjoy the season as it comes. Maybe it’s enough to laugh when you can, rest when you need to, and appreciate the little moments that show up along the way.

So wherever this Friday finds you, I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead. Stay cool if you can. Drink plenty of water. Eat the peach. Buy the ice cream. Call someone you love.

And if your to-do list doesn’t get completely finished?

Well, mine probably won’t either.

I think we’ll survive.