Five Things to Do This Summer
Photo by Olivia Gündüz-Willemin.
“I have only to break into the tightness of a strawberry, and I see summer – its dust and lowering skies.”
As 2020 progresses, the passage of time is becoming more and more stilting. As much of the world went on lockdown, we’ll admit it’s gotten to us too, that distressful isolation. Every single month so far has lasted an entire year, with each its own year of life to process. It feels as though we should be kicking off a second April, and not July. Still, we are aware of the beauty and abilities our lives do hold, and so we press onward as we can. So here we are: summer in the northern hemisphere, winter in the southern. A drastically new season, while the world both moves on around us and seems to stand drearily still.
Here are five things we’re doing continually this season to help anchor us in time, the world around us, and within ourselves.
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Set up a recurring donation.
As the media is giving less coverage to the Black Lives Matter protests happening across the US and attempting to normalize the spread of COVID, it may seem like the events of the spring are a thing of the past, but make no mistake: nothing is in the past. Consider who you’d like to support and if your circumstances allow, set up a recurring donation where you can. We’ve turned towards organizations like RAICES, who fights for the rights of immigrants and refugees across the US, and grassroots organizations, like the Brave Space Alliance, a Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ center in Chicago. Look up organizations local to yourself or your loved ones and start there: local bail funds, BLM chapters, collectives, mutual aids, and more. If a donation is out of your range, support how you can: sign petitions, share resources on social media, watch Youtube videos, etc.
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Eat some fresh fruit and vegetables.
With an ongoing pandemic, we may not be venturing out to shops and markets as frequently to do our groceries this year and even less so finding our way to local favorites for elaborate salads and fresh fruit-laden desserts. But summer is the best season for colorful fruits and vibrant greens, so please, make sure you eat at least some forms of fresh produce every day. There is not a day that will not be improved by fruit or two, and should you find joy in invention, create your own salads, grilled vegetables, and elaborate antipasto boards. Make a decorative tart. Put hot sauce on your peaches, balsamic on your berries, corn in your risotto! Bring the season to you.
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Read the books you bought in June.
We usually don’t mind building up a book collection and mammoth TBR pile, but when it comes to important reads, the time is now. Read all the books you bought from Black bookstores last month, think about them, and then buy some more. Discuss them with your friends and family, and keep doing the work. Anti-racism is not a one week elective, it is lifelong and necessary. Do it every month of the year, and don’t wait for current events to shock you into checking the diversity of your bookshelves. Read Black fiction, too, and poetry, memoirs, history, not just ally manuals. Expand your world with points of view you weren’t taught to pick up in school. I promise it’s not hard to do. Follow diverse voices on social media, whether writers or bookstagrammers (and respect their space!) and support publishers uplifting these voices. Oh, and be kind and patient with booksellers filling your orders too. These books will still be just as good and relevant in two to four weeks.
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Consider your fabrics & dress for the weather.
Whether we realize it or not, the weather has changed while we’ve been mostly indoors. It’s summer in the northern hemisphere, and if heat waves haven’t arrived where you are just yet, they’re on their way. Look through your closet and pick out the pieces of clothing that are made out of natural fibers. Cotton and linen are your friends in the summer, and you’ll be glad to have them on hand. And don’t worry, they don’t mean you have to cut any witchy elements out of your seasonal wardrobe. Likewise, it’s winter in the southern hemisphere, and if the weather calls for it, you should be protected! We are still in the midst of a pandemic, after all, and this is no time to be catching any sort of illness that could further compromise your immune system. On that note...
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PLEASE!! WEAR! A! MASK!
This pandemic is never going to come to an end if we don’t all do our parts and wear our masks when out and about in the company of others. Of course there are other factors, but this is a very easy start. Whether it’s mandatory where we live or not. And hey, there are pretty masks out there now: match them to your outfits or make it floral for the summertime. Let’s normalize the practice together. Keep up to date on practices in your area and be even more cautious if you can as a courtesy to others. Keep washing your hands, socially distancing, ordering takeout instead (and tip generously!). Send care packages and letters to your friends who can’t be outside. What feels like a small inconvenience now will only get worse if people keep ignoring measures but can be the road to survival if we treat it as the basic consideration it just is.
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We are all doing our best and together we can see it through. For more to do, our spring Five Things is still on our mind. Stay safe friends!
Olivia Gündüz-Willemin and Raquel Reyes are something like the glamorous older cousins you never had, but also mostly spend their days exchanging texts about how sleepy they are. Together (transatlantically) they run and operate The Attic on Eighth.
The five things we’re doing to make the most of February 2021 to reconnect with both ourselves and our loved ones after a long winter.