Give Meaning Archives - American Greetings Blog

Making a meaningful summer with sliced watermelon background

Blue skies. Warm sunshine. Gentle, swaying breezes. Summer’s such a beautiful time of year, isn’t it? Yet with the many demands of our busy lives, we may all be just a little guilty of forgetting that we can make it as fun and rewarding as we want to. The most important thing to remember is to give meaning to what really matters: relationships, not activities or events. So let’s rediscover the true joys of this season all over again — together. Plus, to help spread Summer Joy, we have beautiful, printable summer quotes you can cut out and leave for others, or use for your as your own inspirational reminders to soak in the season!

How to Make a Meaningful Summer with Kids

The secret here is to avoid just absentmindedly and randomly making a list of things to do. Instead, plan your activities thoughtfully and with purpose. Be sure to actively involve your kids, and find out what’s most important to them as well. Some sample questions to ask them: “What do you think would be a fun thing for us to do together this summer and why?” “If you could imagine the best summer adventure in the world, what would it be?” “What can we do to make a difference?” Here are a few fun examples to spark an idea of your own:

Learn something new. Share an experience that’s both novel and interactive. Ask your child if there’s something they’ve always wanted to try and maybe never had the courage to do. What a great way to discuss feelings of insecurity, how to handle life’s challenges, and satisfaction of accomplishment. Just having you there may be all the encouragement they need to get past their comfort zone.
Volunteer for a worthy cause. Work side-by-side helping others while discussing the importance of giving back. Do some crafts with the elderly in a nursing home. Walk a dog at an animal shelter. Or offer popsicles to the garbage truck workers in your neighborhood. You may even make a few new friends along the way.
Nurture relationships. Who do your kids want to spend more quality time with and get to know better? And why? Talk to them about the importance of relationships, whether it’s with their cousins, grandparents, or next-door neighbor. Then coordinate the visits and discuss afterwards.

How to Make a Meaningful Summer with Friends

This is all about spending quality time with your BFFs. That means stowing away cell phones and carving out time for lots of personal interaction. Take a day off work. Heck, take off a whole week of vacation and do something serendipitous. We like to call it “deliberate fun.” Here are some suggestions to get you started on your own brainstorming:

Get personal. Instead of just “liking” the social media posts and photos of friends you haven’t seen in a while, take the time to actually call or visit them. Try doing this on a regular basis, and you’ll soon see how special you make each of them feel.
Go unplugged. Pick an activity to do with your friends (liking eating out, going bowling, or hiking trails) and leave all electronics behind. Focus on your friends and give them your undivided attention. Bonus: Have your friends do the same.
Make it “write.” There’s nothing quite as meaningful as a handwritten note, letter, or card from a friend. Get out your pen and rekindle an old friendship, or strengthen a new one.

How to Make a Meaningful Summer for Yourself

We all need some alone time once in a while. And summer is the perfect excuse to wind down and enjoy yourself — by yourself. Forget the errands and chores. They can wait. You can’t. This is your time. Make the most of it.

Research your roots. If you’ve always wanted to find out more about your family history, now’s the time to do it. Reach out to family members who can fill in the gaps. You may even discover relatives you never knew you had! Your next family reunion will be that much bigger.
Take some time just for you. Start the day with a nature walk to set a calm mood and take plenty of deep breaths to drink in your surroundings. Read a book, or write in a journal. Watch your favorite movie, or catch up on some much-needed sleep. Take the day to revisit yourself and see how refreshing some true “me time” can be.

We hope this helps you in planning to make it a meaningful summer this year, no matter who you’re with! To make it even a bit more fun and exciting, here are some super-cute summer quotes we’ve created just for you. Download and print today. use the blank notes to fill in activities or ideas you want to accomplish this season. Happy summer, everyone!

Printable Summer Quotes

The Days That Are Hard

For someone who has lost a child, parent, or other family member, the sense of loss and grief never really goes away–it lives just beneath the surface, bubbling up at unexpected moments. And then there are those moments throughout a year–their birthday, the anniversary of their passing, and even holidays typically associated with celebrating relationships like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day that can be painful.

As a friend, family member or co-worker of someone going through something like this, you may find yourself wanting to reach out and offer support during these times. We know these are sensitive topics to broach and you may have hesitations about not knowing exactly what to do or say, but we’re firm believers that it’s better to try to reach out than to ignore it or say nothing at all–so we’d like to offer these tips to help you along:

What does it mean to show up?

Showing up for someone who may be suffering doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. It can be a phone call, a cup of coffee or a handwritten note. “A new friend of mine lost her only son years ago. I remember being struck when she shared with me how painful her first Mother’s Day was because she didn’t know if she was ‘still a mom’ after he passed. It broke my heart and I wanted to ease her pain. So I decided to show up for her even though I was terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing. But I went with my gut and sent her a card reassuring her that in fact she is and always will be her son’s mother and that I’m personally grateful for her friendship,” shares Christine Rich.

Sometimes not knowing what to say is the hardest part. We all may experience this during the difficult times our loved ones go through. If you just don’t know what to say but want to show you care, we’ve shared some thoughtful ideas that you can add to personalize a card for someone you care about here.

Understanding the grieving process

The five stages of grief include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This is not a one-size-fits-all process, and it’s important to know that everyone will move through these stages at their own pace. Someone may want to be alone during one phase, but really need you during another. Mother’s/Father’s Day may be one of those times.

It’s not about you

Although it can be helpful to have stood where someone else is standing when it comes to hard situations, it’s important to remember that everyone has their own story and path. If they ask you how you dealt with certain situations, definitely let them know what helped make your journey easier, and lessons you may have taken away, but be mindful that you are letting them ask before you openly share.

Stand the test of time

The days and weeks surrounding a loss or receiving difficult news are the most sensitive. They also seem to be the time when people literally show up the most. Meals are cooked, cards arrive in the mail, voicemails are full from people checking in, etc. But as the weeks turn into months, and even years, this activity naturally scales down. This is probably the time when people need you the most. If you don’t normally see these people on a regular basis, set reminders to check-in, invite them out for an occasional cup of coffee, or stick a card in the mail if distance is a factor.

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