A Season for Joy: Embracing Your Next Chapter This Summer
By Connie Kobylko
There is something about an Alberta summer that feels a little magical. Perhaps it’s because we’ve spent months bundled up against winter’s chill, watching the seasons slowly shift and wondering when spring will finally decide to stay. Or perhaps it’s seeing the first signs that warmer days are ahead.
Garden centres begin overflowing with vibrant colours. We find ourselves drawn to rows of flowers and hanging baskets, imagining how they might brighten our decks, patios, and front steps. Seed packets are purchased with optimism. Planters are refreshed. The garden is prepared for another season of possibility.
There is an excitement that returns.
After months of spending much of our time indoors, we begin taking our lives back outside. Family gatherings move to the backyard. Grandchildren run through parks and playgrounds. Picnics are packed. We see our neighbours enjoying the sunshine, happy to be mowing the lawn instead of shovelling 2-foot-high snowfalls. Even our morning coffee somehow tastes better when enjoyed on the deck while the birds provide the soundtrack.
Summer invites us back into life. Not because we suddenly become busier, but because we become more aware of the opportunities surrounding us.
As a Joy Facilitator, I often ask people a simple question: “What brings you joy?”
The answers are very rarely extravagant. A phone call from someone you haven’t spoken with in a while. A conversation that leaves you smiling long after it ends. Watching birds visit a feeder outside your window. Sitting around a table with people you enjoy. Taking a drive with no particular destination in mind. Listening to a favourite song that instantly takes you back to another chapter of your life.
What I have learned over the years is that joy is often found in the moments we are most likely to overlook. It arrives quietly throughout our day, a warm breeze on your face. A genuine laugh shared with a friend. The smell of fresh-cut grass.
I received a handwritten note in the mail the other day, and it made me feel so special. I instantly smiled as I thought of the sender. What a heartfelt gesture on her part. These moments may seem small at the time, yet they often become the memories we treasure most.
I believe they become the golden threads that weave together a meaningful life.
One of the greatest gifts that comes with age is perspective. We begin to understand that life isn’t measured by how busy we were or how many items we crossed off a list. It is measured in moments, relationships, experiences, and the people who shared them with us.
Summer gives us countless opportunities to gather those moments. Perhaps this is the year you finally stop in that little Alberta town you’ve driven through dozens of times. One never knows what treasures you may find. Maybe it’s saying yes to a community event, a concert in the park, or an invitation for coffee.
"Joy isn’t found in doing more. Joy is found in being present for what is already here."
Perhaps it’s revisiting a hobby or interest that once brought you joy and making it part of your life again. Or maybe you’ll decide to try something entirely new, like the much-talked-about game of pickleball that seems to have captured the attention of people of every generation.
The activity itself isn’t really the point. The willingness to remain curious is. Joy isn’t found in doing more. Joy is found in being present for what is already here.
Several years ago, after overcoming a life-changing injury, I found myself standing at an unexpected crossroads. The future I had imagined looked different than the one unfolding before me. Like many people who encounter challenges, I could have focused on all that had changed. Instead, I found myself asking a different question. “What is still possible?”
That simple question opened doors I could never have imagined.
It inspired me to begin a new business in my fifties. It introduced me to remarkable people throughout Alberta. It led me into retirement communities where I witness friendship, resilience, laughter, and connection every single day.
Today, as I embrace another era of life, I can honestly say I am living one of the most meaningful chapters of my journey. Not because everything has unfolded perfectly. But because I discovered that “becoming” does not stop when we reach a certain age. Dreams do not come with expiry dates.
One of my own dreams has followed me since childhood. I always wanted a tree house. The kind built for imagination. A special place tucked among the trees where books could be read, adventures imagined, and the world could be viewed from childlike eyes.
Instead of allowing it to gather more dust over the years, I’ve decided that perhaps it’s time to create a grown-up version. It may not sit fifteen feet above the ground, but I can certainly imagine a small elevated retreat in my backyard where I can enjoy a morning coffee, read a good book, and share it with my grandchildren. It can become their playhouse too!
The lesson isn’t really about the tree house. It’s about giving ourselves permission to keep dreaming. When we share our dreams with others, they often become the beginning of new memories, new traditions, and stories that are talked about for years to come.
I have met people who thought their best chapters were behind them, only to discover something unexpected waiting ahead.
One gentleman who had played music for most of his life recently joined a local group of musicians who gather simply for the joy of playing together. What began as a way to keep his skills sharp quickly became a source of friendship and belonging.
Another woman decided to volunteer at a local community organization. She expected to give her time; instead, she discovered new friendships and a renewed sense of purpose.
These stories don’t make headlines. Yet they quietly transform lives. Perhaps embracing our next chapter isn’t about reinventing ourselves at all. Maybe it’s about being open to new experiences. Open doors to new friendships. Revisit old dreams that still whisper to us. Give thought to the possibility that some of life’s most meaningful moments have yet to arrive.
As you move through this summer, I invite you to pause and consider a few questions.
What brings a genuine smile to your face?
Who would you like to spend more time with?
What dream has been patiently waiting for your attention?
What experience would you regret not trying?
And what might happen if you took one small step toward it?
You don’t have to dive right in. It starts with just one step.
I have come to realize the best chapters rarely begin with huge changes, but often, they begin with a simple conversation, an invitation accepted, or a decision to try something different.
This summer, take time to notice the good that surrounds you. Collect moments that become cherished memories. Laugh often and without apology. Reconnect with the people and activities that bring light to your life. Give yourself permission to dream again, regardless of your age.
After all, life isn’t simply about growing older. It’s about continuing to grow.
And perhaps your next wonderful chapter is waiting just outside your front door.
Connie Kobylko
Connie Kobylko believes the best chapters of life are often the ones we never saw coming. As a Joy Facilitator, Life Celebrant, speaker, and author, she helps people discover meaning, connection, and joy through every season of life. Whether leading workshops in retirement communities, speaking to audiences across Alberta, or honouring loved ones through personalized celebrations of life, Connie’s work is rooted in helping others live fully and love deeply. A lifelong dreamer with a passion for possibility, she is happily creating her own next chapter and intends to be living it vibrantly at 102 years young.