I get all philosophical and teary eyed in June because it’s just so undeservedly beautiful. I was made for June. We’re soul mates. June stirs up an ache in my soul that only Lewis has ever accurately described.
“In speaking of this desire for our own faroff country, which we find in ourselves even now, I feel a certain shyness. I am almost committing an indecency. I am trying to rip open the inconsolable secret in each one of you—the secret which hurts so much that you take your revenge on it by calling it names like Nostalgia and Romanticism and Adolescence; the secret also which pierces with such sweetness that when, in very intimate conversation, the mention of it becomes imminent, we grow awkward and affect to laugh at ourselves; the secret we cannot hide and cannot tell, though we desire to do both. We cannot tell it because it is a desire for something that has never actually appeared in our experience. We cannot hide it because our experience is constantly suggesting it, and we betray ourselves like lovers at the mention of a name. Our commonest expedient is to call it beauty and behave as if that had settled the matter. Wordsworth’s expedient was to identify it with certain moments in his own past. But all this is a cheat. If Wordsworth had gone back to those moments in the past, he would not have found the thing itself, but only the reminder of it; what he remembered would turn out to be itself a remembering. The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing. These things—the beauty, the memory of our own past—are good images of what we really desire; but if they are mistaken for the thing itself they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers. For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.” C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
To carry on with the soul stirring, I’m listening to Folk Soul Revival and loving the song Midnight.
To get summer started with some home grown fun, I’m over at Ruth’s guest posting today on the cutest watercolor rainbow puppets. Get out your watercolors and join us!
This is part of her Summer Fun with Kids series and I’m so happy to be amongst such great company!
Okay, back to the garden I go. I’m hoping to teach the girls to weed today. Should be fun!
Would anyone else like to profess their love for June?
I’m all ears!
Hi! I’m a fairly new reader, but I love both summer and C.S. Lewis…
I think I know what you mean…when I look up into the June sky, feel the warm, sweet breezes, and look at the gorgeous flowers…I just think my heart will burst out of my body! To feel the sun as I sit and read…heavenly!
June for me is the smell of honeysuckle. It’s warm enough in the evenings that the aroma is thick. It always makes me think about “home.”
Edie, you truly are graced with such a gift that gets right to the nugget of whatever topic you’re writing about. Loving the blog AND the podcast!
I also love June – it’s my favorite month. My youngest was born in June and I copied into her baby book some lines from James Russell Lowell’s Vision of Sir Launfal:
And what is so rare as a day in June
Then if ever come perfect days
When heaven tries earth if it be in tune
And over it softly her warm ear lays.
Whither we look and whither we listen
We hear life murmur and see if glisten.
Love these sweet Rainbow Fish puppets – my boys just loved that book so much when they were little {especially the one who is now in college and turns 19 this month ::sniffles::}. Such a fun series and we also love June just as much over here {except maybe the “turning 19 part!!”}. All sorts of things are now in full bloom here in FL and the air smells delicious. xo
That passage from the Weight of Glory was so moving. I am in love with the breeze off the ocean in June, as it cools your skin from the scorch of the sun and carries its salty scent along.
I love this quote! Thank you …”For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.” C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
Yes, June is an amazing month! Congratulations on 6 years of writing your blog, It truly has been an inspiration. I’m really enjoying your podcasts and plan to check out the others that you listed. I’ve needed a challenge and think this series is what I’ve been looking for! I’m a relatively young grandmother (59) to three little girlies, the oldest starts kindergarten this year. So, both of my girls are raised and raising families of their own. I hope to spend plenty of time with as many books as I can read this summer! Thanks for the encouragement!
yep it’s one of my favorite months too. Just wish we were done with school sooner, way up North here. It’s going until June 17th. Can you even? Ridiculous.
Edie, you and I have a similar infatuation with June. I had to write about the first day of “summer” at my place. I couldn’t contain myself! The rainbow fish is adorable.
And I have pictures of my two oldest (they were about 10 and 7 at the time) reclining in between the rows of vegetables while pulling weeds. Hey, they got it done. 😉
I just finished listening to a lecture on Lewis where they were talking about this…the touch of heaven felt through wonderful moments (like when the warm sun soaks into your skin, or that perfect piece of verse that lights up your heart, or the memory of that special person). I always thought of those moments and knew they were something. Now, thanks to C.S. Lewis, I know. Oh boy, what a wonderful thing we have to look forward to!
June…what a great month! Summer is here (especially in Texas). My youngest has her birthday (we are using your Rainbow Fish as the birthday party craft – it is perfect – thank you!). And we get to go to the beach – a piece of heaven too!
Hope you have a fantastic summer 🙂
ahhh …. june! like a nice, long, warm hug!!!!! love how life slows down … no school, longer days … the best!
Oh yes. The longing for the eternal city. Perfect explanation for that feeling that something is so wonderful but at the same time that something is missing.
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