The end of August is always a bittersweet time – it's a sign of summer's end, with shorter days that burn bright.

It seemed like yesterday that we were celebrating the arrival of summer. Why must the summer fun end? Recently I expressed my readiness for fall, but that doesn't mean I won't miss all the beautiful things summer gave us. When days get cold and dark, it's important to remember the hot summer days that made life delightful. Those very HOT summer days filled our lives with much to be thankful for.

To help you stay warm all year long, not just in the summertime, here are summer joys to remember all year. May they help you dream of summer, sunny days, beach days, and everything in between.

24 Things about Summer that Soothe the Soul

• Concerts in the park
• Farmer's markets, fresh with the glory of what can be grown
• Dewdrops impossibly suspended on the edges of grass blades
• Wildflowers…just wildflowers
• Dresses that twirl with a personality all their own
• Summer Fridays
• Making optimistically long to-do lists (unconcerned if they remain unfinished)
• The smell of sunblock
• Sea salt kisses that linger and swell
• Reading in a hammock
• The sprinkle of an impromptu sun rain
• Playing tag with the ocean…and losing
• Eating ice cream every day
• Watching bubbles cascading – weightless and perfect living art
• Raspberry iced tea with fresh lemons
• Dates on patios and sunsets at the beach
• The feeling of cool tiles on summer feet
• Outdoor Movies
• Driving to get lost…to get found
• Antiquing and finding the piece that was looking for you all along
• The magic of the first fireflies
• Counting a thousand stars and choosing the perfect one to hold your wish
• Pretending you are on a first date again
• Night walks under a lamplit moon

Summer is a perfectly paused moment, an unexpected smile. With its charms and secrets, it is a magical season that we fall in love with again and again. What are your favorite things about summer?