Your summer deserves a proper goodbye

Dear Joy Seeker,

Today is the last day of summer and I think that deserves a little more ceremony than we usually give it. Not a sad little “oh well, back to reality tomorrow” but more like a proper goodbye.

A CELEBRATION!

Because last week, I had one of those moments that made me realise just how beautiful this summer has been.

I was on a boat, gliding through the canals of London.

The sun was warm on my face, there was greenery everywhere, the sky was a ridiculous shade of blue, the water was calm and clean, there was a picnic basket beside me, a chilled glass of Prosecco in my hand, the perfect song playing, my favourite person sitting next to me and I was wearing a dress that made me feel good.

Everything felt… magical.

I remember feeling this wave of joy come over me and I turned to my partner and said, “Please take a photo of me in this moment. I want to remember the pure joy of this moment.”

Not the boat or the dress. Not even the Prosecco.

The JOY.

That photo has become my image of this summer because if I had to choose one frame to represent the season, that would be it: a woman on a boat, with sun on her face. Laughing. Happy. Present.

I think there’s something powerful about deliberately remembering our joy.

We’re so good at documenting what happened: the holiday, the wedding, the restaurant, the sunset, the birthday.

But how often do we stop and say: “I want to remember how I FELT here.”?

So before summer officially clocks off, I invite you to look back:

What did this summer give you?

Where did you laugh?

Who made you feel alive?

What surprised you?

What did you finally say yes to?

What moment do you want to remember?

Because we only get so many summers and so many August 31sts.

Let’s not rush past them.

Let’s celebrate them.

🌟 3 Ideas for Creating More Joy This Week

1. Choose your summer photo - scroll through your camera roll and pick ONE photo that captures how summer felt for you. Not the prettiest photo. The happiest one.

2. Send a “You made my summer better” message - tell someone they were part of your joy this season.

3. Make a “more of this” list - not goals or resolutions. Just: more of this.

📚 2 Inspiring Resources

1. Instagram page: The Wander Years - every post on this page makes me feel instantly free. Her posts have this beautiful, playful, slightly rebellious energy that reminds me not to take life quite so seriously. Every time I scroll, I feel a little more liberated and curious.

2. Event: Notting Hill Carnival - what better way to say goodbye to summer than with one giant celebration of colour, music, culture and joy? I'll see you there!

🤔 This Week's Reflection Question

1. What did you say YES to this summer that you're glad you did?

Putting on my dancing shoes,

Irina