A slowdown to savor

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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In this land of long brutal winters, it's understandable that Minnesotans cram as much as possible into the year's warmer months.

Weddings, family reunions, concerts, fairs, parades, vacations, athletic tournaments and summer camps for kids are among the myriad activities that quickly fill up the calendar between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The whirlwind makes time fly.

All too soon, back-to-school gear is lining store shelves, fall-sports athletes are reporting to practice, and another early herald of the seasonal switch arrives: crimson conquering the green in the elegant leaves of the sumac shrubs along the state's roadways.

Regrettably, there's no pause button to push to savor Minnesota's fleeting summers. But sometimes, Mother Nature provides a workaround — if we recognize it and take advantage of the opportunity. She did so this week with the heat and humidity blanketing much of the state.

On Thursday, heat indexes in the metro ranged from 105 to 110 degrees. It was an oppressive capstone to the recent run of hot, sticky weather. Resistance was futile.

Shade and air conditioning provided limited refuge. But most outside activities — the joyful heart of summer — ground to a halt. The risk of heat exhaustion and stroke required it. Given that it's still July, there's likely another run or two of stifling conditions ahead.

Rather than lament it — and, yes, we recognize that climate change requires attention — perhaps a perspective shift in personal behavior is in order. There's a welcome reprieve in the slowdown the weather forces upon us — a break from the relentless pace of summer activities.

A jammed schedule suddenly has openings when it's too hot to do much. There's time to sit on the porch or deck, make lemonade, watch the sunset, the moon rise and the fireflies dance across the lawn.

Maybe there's a half-finished book to pick up again. A TV series ready for streaming and binging. A deck of cards to be dealt and children or grandchildren old enough to learn classic games like hearts, rummy or euchre.

Ratcheting back summer's frenetic pace isn't a defeat: It's an opportunity if we choose to see it that way. Take a breath and savor the season. Consider the tropical temperatures permission from Mother Nature to do so.