REFLECTIONS ON THE HIGH SUMMER HEAT

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As an observer, I have noticed every year the summer heat in the North East conjures up many ideas, opinions and feelings inside folks experiencing the high temperatures and dense humidity. Is the heat getting more intense or tapering off? I am not sure, but right now to me the heat rhythm on a social scale seems to go something like this…

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The phrase “It is so hot today” is said and heard many times a day, going to the beach reveals itself as a wonderful solution, dreams of fall weather come and go weekly, sighs of frustration and sweaty discomfort pop in and out of earshot, tans are worn proudly at family barbeques, and conversations take place ideating what future heat rhythms may feel like.

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I am curious as to why so many of us, including myself, forget to consider leaning into the discomfort of a hot day. It is certain many folks do not have this privilege due to certain health conditions etc., but I do like to believe many of us are able to be present with ourselves in the heat and reflect a tiny bit more… To feel something other than what one may be experiencing in the now can be seen as an attempt to escape reality. This is neither good nor bad and is definitely a part of the human experience to want to escape, but I do wonder if being still for a moment in the now is a worthwhile practice to challenge the chase.

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I have found, as a farmer of three years, that ultimately I have needed to learn out of necessity, to find beauty in the high summer heat. I have developed the ability to practice strength on the days when the air feels so thick, images of slicing it with a knife come to mind. Now, having a high heat tolerance is definitely a gift that not many have, and a planet getting hotter and hotter is no good either. But, I do wonder if rather than cursing the heat away, we can become curious about it. Maybe more people have a higher tolerance for discomfort than they allow themselves to explore.

 

What could a new relationship to heat look like? Can the heat inspire us into action? Can slowing down in the heat be considered sacred? Heat, where do you come from? What purpose do you serve? How are you helping us? How are you hurting us? I am not saying to only see the positives in the heat, but rather consider it as an opportunity for exploration and expansion.

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Until Next Time,

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Your Friends at Crossroads Farm

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STAFF PICK RECIPE

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HONEY-BERRY LEMONADE​

Yield 4-5 Servings

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4 large lemons

1/2 cup honey

3 1/2 cups water

1 cup berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)

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Squeeze lemons and strain juice. Add most of the honey and mix well. Add to Water. Add berries, Use the remaining honey to sweeten to taste. Partially fill frosted glasses with ice cubes, pour in lemonade, and garnish with a sprig of mint.

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Shared from the Healthy Honey Cookbook, Recipes, Anecdotes, and Lore" Second Edition by Larry Lonik.