August is the last month of summer before school starts up again and work gets back into full swing. This makes August a particularly important month to spend time with friends and family. In Europe, most companies shut down for the entire month of August, preferring to save the energy costs of air conditioning their urban offices while most workers retreat to the countryside or the beaches for some rest and relaxation. Americans can learn a lesson from this European way of life; we often don’t take that time out to just enjoy ourselves and spend time with our loved ones. We are always running, from one place to another, never stopping to smell the roses.
Renamed in honor of the first Roman emperor, Augustus Caesar, in 8 BC, August derives from the Latin root augere, which means to increase. In August, we can seize the opportunity to make lasting memories as we commit to increasing the time we spend celebrating the important friendships in our lives by spending more quality moments together. As the summer comes to a close and the lazy days come to an end, throw a party for your closest friends and family, or plan an impromptu vacation with them. To celebrate your friendships and relationships, you have to make time to spend with them, no matter how hard it may seem to do so. In August, sip the lemonade, bask in the sun, and enjoy the last few days of your break in celebration of your friendships that make life well worth living.
