10 Joyful Things About July

If I had to put July into the senses, it would be the following:

Sight: Sunshine

Smell: That Summer Thunderstorms smell

Taste: Watermelon

Touch: Beach towel

Hear: Fireworks

To me, the joy of this month is especially found in taking time to relax and just be in the moment of summertime!

Here are 10 joyful things about July, see if any resonate with you!

#1: Fireworks

Trigger Warning: Fireworks are not favorites for many people as well as animals.

When I was in second grade, we had to write a piece on what our favorite sound was.

I remember mine was hearing fireworks.

We were fortunate to have my hometown’s fireworks display nearly in our backyard, so we were always able to get wonderful fireworks for the Fourth of July!

Afterward, family friends (and eventually me) often would then make their way inside to watch “A Capitol Fourth” where we got to see the fireworks display over the U.S. capital city!

There really is something about hearing fireworks and looking up to the sky to see it all lit up.

July-with the Fourth and its glorious weather-gives us such a wonderful chance to see our sky lit up with the magic of fireworks!

As Katy Perry sings in the song “Firework”,

Maybe that’s the joy of fireworks: they remind us that when it feels dark, there is such beauty in letting your light shine!

At a less philosophical view, they truly are amazing to see, changing our already stunning night sky into something so different and magical!

#2: Watermelon Season

A book I am working through had such an excellent point!

The author said, how many melons—like watermelon—do we eat in a single year? A lot would likely say they just have a few slices during the entire calendar year! Compare that to how many bananas or apples you eat a year!

Have you ever stepped back and realized how refreshing and wonderful watermelons are!

Given their growing season, I associate eating watermelon with the summertime of July!

#3: Summertime Hikes + Camping

I love taking a hike year-round, however summer is the season where hikes really can come alive.

The vegetation is in full bloom, making for some spectacular sights and sounds (like the wind blowing through the leaves- I wrote about that as one of the joyful things about May!).

Camping also makes it name known when summertime rolls around.

While my family never went formal camping together, we did have several camping nights in our own backyard growing up, and those memories still stick with me to this day!

There is something extra special about getting to sleep under the stars and having a bonfire that makes you realize how nice it is to sometimes bask in nature and break up your ordinary routine.

Bring back the memories and grab some family and/or friends and plan a camping trip this summer! Whether it is in your own backyard or in some cool camping spot, enjoy the solitude that nature gives us!

#4:That Vacation Feeling

July seems to be like a month of eternal vacation doesn’t it?

People are either taking their summer vacations or there simply just is vacation in the air. July feels like one month of vacation-mode.

Writing this, I am reminded of one of my favorite TV show’s episodes growing up- the Rugrats‘ “Vacation” episode.The song that plays at the beginning is “Vacation” by The Go-Go’s, and my brother can attest that I would sing that song all the time and dance to it!

If you aren’t familar with the show, Rugrats, the babies of the family are the main characters and they have crazy adventures.

In this episode, their families are taking a vacation.

The babies are talking to each other and wondering what “vacation” is. Angelica, the oldest and a toddler, tells the babies that, “a vacation is when you get to do exactly what you want, all the time.”

July certainly has that vibe to it, doesn’t it!

The long days make bedtime seem like it can be whenever you want, the days seem to blend together a bit (I feel like I never know the date in the summertime!), and many are taking their actual vacations!

Even if you aren’t taking a vacation this month, it is certainly a fun month to enjoy the more laid-back pace of life, the feeling of getting to be outside so much, and the feeling of joy that endless summer July brings!

 

#5: Summertime Hygge

A few years back this word was all the rage, however (as many trends do), it kind of fell by the wayside since.

According to Dictionary.com, hygge is,

When one thinks of hygge, they probably don’t think of summertime. It’s normally associated with wintertime given that the term is generally connected to the Danes and their chilly wintertimes!

However, Meik Wiking, author of the book, The Little Book of Hygge, writes hygge can be—and is—felt all year-round, including the summer!

He says,

#6: The Fresh Produce

One thing that is such a joy in July is the fresh produce! Tomatoes, green beans, peppers, and lettuce are just a few of my favorite fresh produce items that I associate with summer!

After planting back in the spring, it is such a delight to be able to finally see the fruits (and veggies!) of your labor—pun intended!

Even if you aren’t growing produce, there is a certain fun about getting to shop at a farmer’s market or farm stand for fresh vegetables and fruits, transporting them home and eating them!

When you take the time to pause and get excited when you see a farm/produce stand, you really feel that inner joy that summertime brings!

#7:The “Dog Days”

“The Dog Days of Summer” usually don’t have a positive connotation associated with them, do they?

Interestingly, the “Dogs Days” became such because back in the Ancient Greek’s time period, they would use the constellations to help understand the seasons. The star, Sirus, when it would rise/set with the sun meant the hot days of summer were occuring. This Sirus star was within the constellation, Canis Major (according to the Ancient Romans), which translates into “Greater Dog”. The term “Dog Days” comes from the Romans callng this time period with the Sirus star rising and setting with the sun “dies caniculares” which translates into “days of the dog star”. This later gave way to the saying, “the dog days”.

Nowadays, these days seem to be associated with the days of summer when the excitement of the season wears off, the hot days of the season arrive, and people start thinking a little bit about the “Back-to-School” season/ autumn’s change.

However, I think these “Dog Days” need to be refreshed in their viewpoint.

There does reach a point this month where summer feels eternal. Time feels eternal. Sometimes in a bad way, but also sometimes in a good way. It’s a nice reminder to live in the Now moment—with all the excitement, wonder, and awe that it brings. It also is a powerful reminder of the feeling of boredom, and boredom can be a propeller of creativity
.

So, July might give you this feeling of wanting the autumn season to return once again, to live in that more structure-filled time of the year.

What if, the “Dog Days” are a reminder to lean into this boredom—the restlessness—of the season, and forge a new viewpoint into thinking about how you can enjoy the rest of this less structured time of year, how you can use boredom to your benefit, and how you can remember the temporariness of everything in life? What if you can use “the dog days” to find joy even in the boredom?

#8: Summer Nights

There’s nothing like a nice summer night.

When the temperatures fall (just a little) to feel comfortable after the warm daytime.

The stars and sky seem extra bright and beautiful, and there just seems to be a better chance to just sit, and ponder how truly big and wonderful our Universe is during summer nights.

The crickets are chirping, there’s a fresh warm smell that just seems to radiate. It’s peaceful and when are you just in the Now moment, it truly feels like all is well in the world.

Summer nights, you are such a joy to have!

#9: Hydrangeas

Recently having been in New England (more on this to come!), I have been truly amazed—and reminded— of the beauty of hydrangeas.

Growing up, I was indifferent about hydrangeas (I love lilacs too much!). After getting to see them in all their glory during summertime in New England, they have truly shown me what a joy it is to see them in all their different colors during July!

Hydrangeas, writes Naomi Slade in the book Hydrangeas, orginate from Asia while there are some specific species are are native to other continents. In 1736, England recieved the first North American species of hydrangea which paved the way for Western culivation. In Asia, a doctor named Engelbert Kaempfer who-when in Japan-wrote about his observations of hydrangeas there. By the mid-1800s, hydrgangeas were gaining in attention, specifcally in Europe. Eventually this attention and love for hydrangeas spread to the USA. Interestingly, not everywhere in Europe loves hydrangeas compared to others. The United Kingdom-in particular-does not have such a strong bond to the hydrangea when compared to its neighbors, Germany and France.

One of the most interesting facets about hydrangeas are their different colors. White, pink, blue, purple-ish-they are all stunning! Slade writes that all these different color varitions actually have to do with the soil pH levels. Acid soils lead to blue hydrangeas while alkaline soil leads to pinker hydrangeas.

According to The Complete Language of Flowers (a resource I used to write my post on 10 flowers that symbolize joy!), some of the symbolism behind hydrangeas isn’t the best. Although there are some symbolisms that are joyful ones related to the hydrangea. These include: gratefulness and “thank you for understanding.”!

If you are a hydrangea fan-consider joining the National Hydrangea Society!

#10: Summer Thunderstorms

Ahhh the sound (and smell!) of a summertime thunderstorm. Perhaps one of the highlights for me of summer.

Growing up, I used to hate thunderstorms of all kinds, but my brother loved them.

Now, I’ve come to appreciate them, and all the feels of summertime they bring.

There is just something about a summer thunderstorm, that just feels so joyful.

Whether its being outside and sensing the air shift, seeing the sky darken a bit, feeling the air get a little bit cooler, smelling the air all of the sudden change, needing to rush inside because the rain is coming, getting to just sit and be cozy for a moment while listening to the rainfall and thunder rolling outside or going outside and dancing in the rain!

All of it combines to truly make summer feel like summer.

I wrote a bit about the joy of rainstorms in my post on 10 joyful things about April when talking about April showers!

• Birthflower: Larkspur and Water Lily
• Birthstone: Ruby
• July Color Palette
• Full Moon: Buck Moon
• Nail Polish: Limoncello and Ibiza Breeze
• Music: Chillin’ On a Dirt Road
• Eat Seasonally: July

Let Us Know: What do you find joyful about July?