Summer: A Season for What Matters Most
Dr. Rick Petronella
As I sit down to write this month’s newsletter, I find myself reflecting on just how quickly this year is moving. It seems like only yesterday we were welcoming a new year, making resolutions, setting goals, and wondering what 2026 might bring. Yet here we are already entering June and the beginning of summer.
For many families, summer has always represented something special. The pace changes. School schedules come to an end. Vacations are planned. Children spend more time outdoors. Families gather for cookouts, celebrations, and long evenings together. There is something about summer that invites us to slow down, breathe a little deeper, and pay attention to the people and experiences that matter most.
This year, as summer begins, we have much to celebrate.
The 2026 Winter Olympics recently concluded, and Team USA once again demonstrated what determination, discipline, and perseverance can accomplish. American athletes earned an impressive 33 medals, including 12 gold medals, making this one of our strongest Winter Olympic performances in history. Watching these athletes compete reminds us that success is rarely achieved in a single moment. It is built over time through countless small decisions, sacrifices, and commitments that often go unseen.
In many ways, life works the same way.
Healthy marriages are not built in a day. Strong families are not created overnight. Lasting friendships, meaningful careers, and deep faith all develop through small daily choices that accumulate over time.
As Americans, we also stand on the threshold of another historic milestone. Next month our nation will begin celebrating its 250th birthday. For nearly two and a half centuries, America has endured challenges, celebrated victories, and continued moving forward because ordinary people were willing to invest in something larger than themselves.
Milestones have a way of causing us to pause and reflect.
As our nation prepares to celebrate its history, perhaps we should take a moment to consider our own.
- What have we learned over the years?
- What challenges have shaped us?
- What values do we hope to pass on to our children and grandchildren?
- What kind of legacy are we building through the choices we make today?
These questions become especially important during the summer months because summer often presents opportunities that do not exist during the rest of the year.
Many of us have already made promises about this summer.
Some of us promised our children that we would spend more time with them. We told them we would go fishing, take a trip, attend more games, play outside, or simply be more available.
Some of us promised our spouse that we would make our relationship a greater priority.
Others promised ourselves that this would be the summer we finally take better care of our health, lose weight, read more books, exercise regularly, organize our finances, or pursue a dream that has been sitting on the shelf for too long.
The truth is that most people do not struggle with making promises. Most people struggle with keeping them.
Years from now, your children may not remember every gift you bought them. They may not remember every detail of a vacation. But they will remember whether you were present. They will remember the conversations, the laughter, the encouragement, and the feeling of being valued.
Likewise, our spouses, friends, and family members rarely remember our intentions. They remember our actions.
Summer gives us a unique opportunity to align our actions with our priorities.
Perhaps that is why this season can be so meaningful.
As a therapist, I often speak with individuals who are struggling with stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, grief, or uncertainty about the future. One common theme I hear is that people long for greater connection. They want stronger relationships, deeper purpose, and a greater sense of peace.
Ironically, many of the things that contribute most to emotional well-being are available to us every day.
- Time with family.
- Meaningful conversations.
- Friendship.
- Gratitude.
- Rest.
- Faith.
These simple things often become the foundation for a healthy and fulfilling life.
Speaking of faith, summer can also be an ideal season for spiritual renewal.
Many people begin each year with sincere intentions to strengthen their relationship with God. We promise ourselves that we will pray more often, spend more time reading Scripture, attend church more consistently, or trust God more fully with our worries and fears.
- Then life becomes busy.
- Responsibilities increase.
- Unexpected challenges arise.
- Before long, our spiritual priorities slowly drift into the background.
- Summer provides an opportunity to reconnect.
The Bible reminds us in Proverbs 3:5-6:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
What a comforting reminder that we do not have to carry every burden alone.
Perhaps this summer, God is inviting us to slow down enough to hear His voice again.
- Maybe He is calling us to forgive someone who hurt us.
- Maybe He is encouraging us to strengthen a struggling relationship.
- Maybe He is asking us to trust Him with circumstances that seem uncertain.
- Maybe He is simply inviting us to spend more time in His presence.
The Apostle Paul offers a timely encouragement in Galatians 6:9:
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
That verse speaks powerfully to every area of life.
- Do not grow weary in loving your spouse.
- Do not grow weary in parenting your children.
- Do not grow weary in pursuing your goals.
- Do not grow weary in your faith.
Often the greatest growth occurs when we continue moving forward even when immediate results are not visible.
Each day is a gift. Every conversation, every relationship, every opportunity to love, serve, grow, and trust God is a gift.
My hope for each of you is that Summer 2026 becomes more than simply another season on the calendar.
- May it become a season of meaningful memories.
- A season of renewed relationships.
- A season of personal growth.
- A season of laughter and gratitude.
- A season of faith.
Most importantly, may it become a season in which you invest in the people and priorities that matter most.
And when autumn arrives and the routines of life begin once again, may you look back on these summer months with gratitude and confidence, knowing that you did not simply let the season pass by—you embraced it, lived it fully, and made it count.
The Apostle Paul reminds us:
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)
May Summer 2026 be a season filled with all three.
May your days be filled with meaningful memories, renewed relationships, deeper faith, and joyful experiences.
May you find time to laugh, rest, reconnect, and grow.
May you keep the promises that matter most.
And when summer comes to an end, may you be able to look back with gratitude and confidently say:
“I did not simply pass through this season—I lived it well.”
Wishing you and your family a blessed, joyful, and memorable Summer 2026.
Warmly,
Dr Rick
QUIZ
“Making Summer Count”
Whether it is spending more time with family, strengthening relationships, pursuing personal goals, or growing in faith, the choices we make today help shape the memories and legacy we create tomorrow.
May this summer be filled with faith, hope, growth, and meaningful moments that will last long after the season has ended.
Read each question carefully and circle the best answer. Some questions are True/False, while others are Multiple Choice.
Questions
1. The Summer 2026 newsletter suggests that summer is simply a time to relax and avoid responsibilities.
_____ True
_____ False
2. According to the newsletter, Team USA won how many medals during the 2026 Winter Olympics?
A. 12
B. 25
C. 33
D. 50
3. How many gold medals did Team USA earn at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
A. 8
B. 10
C. 12
D. 15
4. The newsletter states that success is often built through small, consistent decisions made over time.
_____ True
_____ False
5.What historic milestone is America preparing to celebrate?
A. Its 100th Birthday
B. Its 200th Birthday
C. Its 225th Birthday
D. Its 250th Birthday
6. The newsletter suggests that children primarily remember the amount of money spent on them.
_____ True
_____ False
7. According to the newsletter, what do children most often remember?
A. Expensive gifts
B. Time spent with family
C. School grades
D. Television shows
8. The newsletter encourages readers to reflect on promises they have made to others and themselves.
_____ True
_____ False
9. Which of the following was NOT mentioned as an area people often want to improve?
A. Health
B. Relationships
C. Spiritual Growth
D. Learning a Foreign Language
10. The newsletter encourages readers to strengthen their relationship with God during the summer.
_____ True
_____ False
11. Which scripture was used to encourage trusting God?
A. John 3:16
B. Proverbs 3:5-6
C. Romans 8:28
D. Psalm 23
12. The newsletter suggests that God often works through small acts of faithfulness.
_____ True
_____ False
13. According to Galatians 6:9, believers are encouraged to:
A. Avoid challenges
B. Never help others
C. Not grow weary in doing good
D. Focus only on themselves
14. Which of the following was identified as important for emotional well-being?
A. Gratitude
B. Meaningful Relationships
C. Faith
D. All of the Above
15. The newsletter encourages readers to intentionally invest in what matters most during Summer 2026.
_____ True
_____ False
Answer Key
- False
- C. 33
- C. 12
- True
- D. Its 250th Birthday
- False
- B. Time spent with family
- True
- D. Learning a Foreign Language
- True
- B. Proverbs 3:5-6
- True
- C. Not grow weary in doing good
- D. All of the Above
- True
Why These Answers Are Correct
1. False
The newsletter emphasizes that summer is more than relaxation. It is a season to intentionally invest in family, faith, relationships, and personal growth.
2. C. 33
The newsletter highlighted Team USA’s impressive total of 33 medals during the Winter Olympics.
3. C. 12
The newsletter specifically noted that Team USA earned 12 gold medals.
4. True
One of the major themes was that success is built through consistent daily decisions rather than one-time efforts.
5. D. Its 250th Birthday
America is approaching the celebration of its 250th anniversary, which serves as a point of reflection throughout the newsletter.
6. False
The newsletter teaches that children tend to remember quality time and meaningful experiences more than money spent on them.
7. B. Time Spent with Family
The article emphasized that relationships and shared experiences create lasting memories.
8. True
Readers were challenged to think about promises made to spouses, children, family members, friends, themselves, and God.
9. D. Learning a Foreign Language
While many worthy goals exist, the newsletter specifically discussed health, relationships, finances, faith, and personal growth—not learning a foreign language.
10. True
A major section of the newsletter focused on strengthening one’s faith and relationship with God during the summer.
11. B. Proverbs 3:5-6
This scripture was cited to encourage readers to trust God and seek His guidance.
12. True
The newsletter emphasized that God often works through small acts of obedience, consistency, and faithfulness.
13. C. Not Grow Weary in Doing Good
Galatians 6:9 encourages believers to persevere because faithful efforts eventually produce a harvest.
14. D. All of the Above
The newsletter identified gratitude, meaningful relationships, and faith as important contributors to emotional and spiritual well-being.
15. True
The central message of the newsletter was to intentionally invest in what matters most—family, faith, relationships, and personal growth—during Summer 2026.
Bonus Reflection Questions
- What promise have you made that you would like to keep this summer?
- What relationship in your life could benefit from more of your time and attention?
- How would you like your faith to grow between now and the end of summer?
- What memory would you like to create with your family this summer?
- If you could describe a successful Summer 2026 in one sentence, what would it be?