Summers are naturally made for reminiscing. Sitting on the patio in late afternoon hoping for a breeze, half dozing on the beach, even walking the dog around the block, all make for good reminiscing.

There seems to be a plethora of reminiscing this summer. Just this week, I’ve read two powerful writings of a reminiscing persuasion. A family friend, Anne Adkins, wrote a piece, “Holding On and Letting Go,” for our local newspaper in which she reminisced about her young family and close neighbors in Elkin and how hard it was to close that chapter of her life as her daughters went off to college. Yet, she, too, was moving on and changing and so was the neighborhood.

And I’ve almost finished Wendell Berry’s tale of Hannah Coulter. Hannah, as an old woman, is reminiscing about her long life, two husbands gone, children far away, the beloved farm soon to be repurposed. But still, the thread of a rich and productive life remains to bind the generations past and the generations yet to come.

Our granddaughter who lives in Wilmington stopped by this afternoon for a visit. A young lady at 13. Our grandson, almost 11, just returned from a fishing trip with the men. Now, where did the time go! “I’ll have to tell you about the summer I spent at the beach with my grandparents when I was your age. I haven’t thought about that crazy summer in the longest time …”

Reminiscing is great. You can do it by yourself or with someone, it’s free entertainment, and it stimulates your brain cells. You can even sing a song and not care what people think.

In September, it’s my 50th high school reunion. Some old friends are coming to visit. There will be a whole lot of reminiscing going on! I even found my high school annuals in the attic. I feel fortunate to be able to hold on to my friends and to let go of the dorky hair dos and matching sweater sets! From now on, I’m going to embrace selective reminiscing, embellished all the way!

Click here for the link to the column by Anne Adkins in August 3 Winston-Salem Journal.