The month of June holds many treasured memories for all of us. For my grandson, James,
it will be no more scheduled school days and homework, later bedtimes, clock-less afternoons at the lake or poolside, running barefoot, the smell of fresh cut grass, chasing butterflies, family trips, and barbecues.
June gives us the promise of adventures and lazy days in the sun where its warmth comforts us like a blanket on a cold winter day. Curious about the meaning of the word June, I learned that June was named for the goddess Juno, patroness of marriage and the well-being of women. Its Latin origin means, “young.” As Mark Twain so beautifully put it, “It is better to be a young June-bug than an old bird of paradise.” If you name a child June, the biblical meaning is – Queen of Heavens. Babies born in June are either Gemini (May 21 – June 20) or Cancer (June 21 – July 22). Gemini kids are smart and very curious. Cancer signs are nurturing and sensitive. My eldest son, Nicholas, is a Cancer.
What is it about summer that fills our senses with the wonderment of Mother Nature? Sparkling morning dewdrops on the grass, red robins pulling from the earth a wiggly worm, and the evening strolls at dusk with the sounds of crickets and an unexpected gentle breeze that offers relief from the heat of the day. Summer was a time of growing up, where we experienced life and its challenges as each year brought us to adulthood.
I have always loved poetry and I want to share Edgar Albert Guest’s poem called, “June.”
June is here, the month of roses, month of brides, and month of bees,
Weaving garlands for our lassies, whispering love songs in the trees,
Painting scenes of gorgeous splendor, canvases no man could brush,
Changing scenes from early morning till the sunset’s crimson flush.
June is here, the month of blossoms, month of roses white and red,
Wet with dew and perfume-laden, nodding wheresoe’er we tread;
Come the bees to gather honey, all the lazy afternoon;
Flowers and lassies, men and meadows, love alike the month of June.
Month of love and month of sunshine, month of happiness and song,
Month that cheers the sad wayfarer as he plods the road along;
Spreading out a velvet carpet, green and yellow, for his feet,
And affording for his rest hours many a cool and sweet retreat.
May the beauty and warmth of summer stay with you throughout the year.