It’s Lovebug season here in Southwest Florida, and while most of my community feels nothing but annoyance towards these little critters, I find myself filled with nostalgia as these ever-increasing seasonal insects fill our air.
As a child, Lovebug season signified the start of summer; of freedom and adventure — a time to explore our still-developing neighborhood with the kids of my street.
It might sound like a lost fairy-tale, a time of old where children played outside during summer break instead of holding up in their rooms with phones, Xboxes, and computers. But I assure you, as a child of the ’90s my summers were filled with long days of outdoor activity.
From playing on the jungle gym to swimming in the Gulf; to neighborhood trampoline parties, kickball games, and explorations into the overgrown “paper” trees next door. Every day was a chance for learning, growing, and connecting with both the other children and with Florida’s unique environment and all under the guise of “summer fun.”
And while the little summer lovin’ bugs only danced around us for a short time, they seemed, at least to me, to bring out the playful energy associated with the summer holidays.
As an adult, Lovebugs bring back that charm of childhood. They remind me of, dare I say it, a simpler time; a time of magic and uninhibited fun; of wonder, amusement, and adventure.
Although there is that bitter-sweet longing for the past that they stir up within me, instead of annoyance towards these playful creatures, year-after-year my heart fills with an appreciation for them and their ability to show me a window into the magic of my childhood.
Until next time,
Kelli
I grew up in Southeast Florida in Coral Springs… this brings back a lot of memories
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That makes me so happy! I’m glad it was able to bring back memories. Hopefully they were good ones 🙂
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Yeah I used to spend so many days outside playing or in the pool or fishing in a canal nearby… it was amazing. I am a little sad my kids don’t have that similar experience
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Sounds a lot like my summer days. 😂 Do your kids not like the outdoors or is it due to their current location’s environment that they don’t have many similar experiences? I’ve never really not lived in FL so I’m not sure what it would be like to grow up in not the tropics/swamp. I’m sure their environment now has some different, but fun activities/places to explore. My mom grew up in TX and she always talks about catching Fireflies and berry picking…Not something I’ve ever done down here but seems comparably whimsical 😊
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Yeah things have just changed. Kids don’t play outside unsupervised any more. It’s something we’ve lost as a culture I think. We try to go out, do hikes, go to parks, etc
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Yeah, unfortunately, I very rarely see kids playing outside nowadays. Culture has undoubtedly changed just since I was young leaving unsupervised outdoor activities amongst the neighborhood kids to seem a thing of the past. It’s sad and arguably less safe for kids (i.e., cybercriminals, health ramifications, etc.) but it does seem to be our society’s new norm. It’s nice to know you’re still trying to get your kids out and experiencing the benefits of nature 🙂
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