Motivation Mondays: July Thoughts & Poems

“July is hollyhocks and hammocks, fireworks and vacations, hot and steamy weather, cool and refreshing swims, beach picnics, and vegetables all out of the garden.” Jean Hersey

Motivation Mondays: July Thoughts & Poems

“Hot July brings cooling showers, apricots and gillyflowers.” Sara Coleridge
“I drifted into a summer nap under the hot shade of July, serenaded by a cicada lullaby, to drowsy-warm dreams of distant thunder.” Terri Guillemets
“It’s July and I have hope in who I am becoming.” Charlotte Eriksson
A Prayer for Mid-Year Renewal
“Lord, we are now in the second half of the year. Refresh my spirit and renew my focus. Wash away past disappointments and fill me with fresh hope for the months ahead. Amen.”

Patriotic & Heritage: We started the merry month of July by celebrating the 250th anniversary of the USA Independence Day and midsummer with classic Americana, red, white, and blue decor, and backyard BBQs. Some of us contemplated the meaning of this momentous history and its impact on our lives. Others worried about the soaring temperatures and thunderous rainfall, all while the days ticked away and vacation days and time spent strolling beaches beckoned. Some of us felt more at ease lollygagging at home with an audiobook or Kindle at hand.

July offers both the serious and the sublime. We can sit with loved ones and discuss the importance of July 4th, which commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and marks America’s birth as a free nation. Heritage and patriotism on this day remind us that the core principles of this great nation are liberty and equality, the sacrifices many made to secure them, and the responsibility and civic duty we all must uphold to build a more inclusive society.

Fourth of July by Dorianne Laux
The neighborhood cringes behind windows
washed in magnesium light, streamers fizzling
above the shingled rooftop of the apartments
across the street where teenaged boys
with mannish arms throw cherry bombs,
bottle rockets, wings and spinners, snappers,
chasers, fiery cryolite wheels onto the avenue.
Paint flakes off the flammable houses
and onto brave square plots of white grass.
Rain-deprived vines sucker the shutters.
Backyard dogs tear at the dirt, cats
run flat out, their tails straight up.
What’s liberty to the checkout girl
selling smokes and nuts, greenbacks
turning her fingers to grease? The boys
insist on pursuing happiness, their birthright:
a box of matches, crackers on strings,
sparklers, fountains, missiles, repeating shells,
Roman candles, Brazilian barrages.
We peek through blind slats to where they stand
around a manhole cover, the gold foam
of Corona bottles breaking at their feet,
young up-turned faces lit by large caliber
multi-shot aerials. We suffer each concussion,
the sulfur rush that smells like fear, each dizzy,
orgiastic display that says we love this country,
democracy, the right to a speedy trial. We’re afraid
to complain, to cross the spent red casings
melted on asphalt in the morning’s stunned
aftermath, to knock hard on any door, and find them
draped like dead men over the couches, the floor,
hands clasped behind their heads prison style,
shoulders tattooed, dreaming the dreams of free men
in summer, shirts off, holes in their jeans. Via 100bestpoems

“Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.” Jenny Han

Motivation Mondays: July Thoughts & Poems

“One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation evermore!” Oliver Wendell Holmes
“No other date on the calendar more potently symbolizes all that our nation stands for than the Fourth of July.” Mac Thornberry
“The summer looks out from her brazen tower, through the flashing bars of July.” Francis Thompson
A Prayer for Wisdom in Transitions
“Father, as seasons change, give me clarity for my next steps. Grant me the discernment to recognize Your open doors and the courage to walk through them. Amen.”

Summer Fun & Travel: School is out for many kids, so the family vacation season has begun, and beach towns and resort communities are teeming with young ones and their ilk seeking fun, travel, and more. Some families are considering  coastal, beach vibes, safari explorations, and/or water fun. Travel is huge on the horizon, so this is a time to exercise caution, review safety protocols with the kids, and make sure that hydration and learning are key components of any travel plans.

Don’t forget that one of the most popular writing topics kids have to write about once back in school in September is an essay on “What I did during the Summer.” Provide yours with both memorable and pleasurable learning and family connection activities so their written pieces will sing with adventure and delight. Don’t forget that you don’t have to venture far to have a good time. There are also tons of community-driven activities and places to explore, so take advantage of them and make the summer extra special.

For the geeky kid in the family who is a science wiz, use this season to help them with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs and the experience that comes from a Space program for kids organizer. If family activities are higher, incorporate clear summer nights for stargazing, or dive into ocean-animal and marine-biology theme park visits to keep the kids stimulated. There need never be a dull day in your household.

Answer July by Emily Dickinson 1830–1886

Answer July—
Where is the Bee—
Where is the Blush—
Where is the Hay?

Ah, said July—
Where is the Seed—
Where is the Bud—
Where is the May—
Answer Thee—Me—

Nay—said the May—
Show me the Snow—
Show me the Bells—
Show me the Jay!

Quibbled the Jay—
Where be the Maize—
Where be the Haze—
Where be the Bur?
Here—said the Year— Via poets.org

MORE BELOW!

“My life, I realize suddenly, is July. Childhood is June, and old age is August, but here it is, July, and my life, this year, is July inside of July.” Rick Bass

Motivation Mondays: July Thoughts & Poems

“Then came July like three o’clock in the afternoon, hot and listless and miserable.” Allie Ray
“Autumn frosts have slain July.” Lewis Carroll
“July, with its days of blue skies and time that seemingly stands still, holds a special place in my heart.” Daisaku Ikeda
A Prayer for Renewed Strength
“God, when I feel overwhelmed or tired, be my strength. Lift my weary heart, restore my energy, and remind me that Your grace is entirely sufficient for today. Amen.”

Food & Festivals: This is the season for many food-related festivals and celebrations. We are in the middle of a hot, abundant summer filled with fruits, vegetables, and treats to keep us fueled and running around. Summer time food is colorful, fresh, delicious, and plentiful. So indulge and experiment by trying new dishes from cultures around the world when you travel, or by visiting a local restaurant that serves food you have never tried before. July is the month of endless adventure and possibilities for growth.  Attend the local festivals, sample the wares, and expand your food palette and choices with some new healthy foods. What more can you do? You could very well host a lemonade stand with your kids, organize ice cream sundae parties, and arrange a big blowout National Picnic Month gathering, especially if there are July and August birthdays during the season.

July and August can be very hot, so hydration is important. I have big water bottles that I add fruit and other mixes to so I can keep hydrated throughout the day. Since I am a distance runner, I have to make sure that my fueling matches my exertion so I can be fully hydrated and avoid muscle cramps or even worse. Eat your healthy foods, indulge in some naughty desserts, and balance ot all with a good workout throughout the summer. I run, do yoga, and take strength, cardio, and aqua aerobics classes, and I spread them out throughout the week. Decide what works for you and commit to it. Let’s go do it!

Wishing all a joyful and peaceful July. Heavenly Father, place a shield of protection over our homes and loved ones this July. Keep us safe in our travels, healthy in our bodies, and united in Your love. Amen.

July by George Meredith
I
Blue July, bright July,
Month of storms and gorgeous blue;
Violet lightnings o’er thy sky,
Heavy falls of drenching dew;
Summer crown! o’er glen and glade
Shrinking hyacinths in their shade;
I welcome thee with all thy pride,
I love thee like an Eastern bride.
Though all the singing days are done
As in those climes that clasp the sun;
Though the cuckoo in his throat
Leaves to the dove his last twin note;
Come to me with thy lustrous eye,
Golden-dawning oriently,
Come with all thy shining blooms,
Thy rich red rose and rolling glooms.
Though the cuckoo doth but sing ‘cuk, cuk,’
And the dove alone doth coo;
Though the cushat spins her coo-r-roo, r-r-roo –
To the cuckoo’s halting ‘cuk.’

II
Sweet July, warm July!
Month when mosses near the stream,
Soft green mosses thick and shy,
Are a rapture and a dream.
Summer Queen! whose foot the fern
Fades beneath while chestnuts burn;
I welcome thee with thy fierce love,
Gloom below and gleam above.
Though all the forest trees hang dumb,
With dense leafiness o’ercome;
Though the nightingale and thrush,
Pipe not from the bough or bush;
Come to me with thy lustrous eye,
Azure-melting westerly,
The raptures of thy face unfold,
And welcome in thy robes of gold!
Tho’ the nightingale broods—’sweet-chuck-sweet’ –
And the ouzel flutes so chill,
Tho’ the throstle gives but one shrilly trill
To the nightingale’s ‘sweet-sweet.’ Via Allpoetry

Positive Motivation Tip:  “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” John Lubbock

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos:  via Adobe Free Stock and My Personal Photos

Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet