Love/Hate Relationship

Summer is my favorite time of year. Everything is in bloom, it's warm and the sun is high in the sky. But during the summer, my allergies are on high alert. This got me thinking about the love/hate relationship I have with summertime in Seattle.
I love flowers. Not to the point where I want a bouquet in my house every day (possibly due to the constant sneezing that would ensue) but for the sole purpose of marveling at their beauty in their natural state. My favorite flowers are lilacs. The house I lived in from birth until age six had a large lilac tree in the back yard and I have some very fond memories of living life with the lingering fragrance of lilacs in bloom. Due to my age and what my life consisted of, it also reminds me of my mom. Two years ago I bought my very own lilac dwarf-bush and have enjoyed watching it bloom on my deck every spring.
I love warm weather. The kind that requires you to slow down and reflect. There is no such thing as rushing when the weather is nice. Everything is done in a leisurely fashion so as to enjoy every morsel of it.
I love the activities that come along with warm weather. Sunbathing is at the top of my list. Not that I have the skin-type for it, but I love the way heat penetrates through my skin and dries my swimsuit in record time. I love snorkeling. I've only gone once, but it was a lot of fun. So was white water rafting, the one time I did that. I love going on hikes and exploring new areas. I love the fresh produce that comes with warm weather. And drinking gatorade and smoothies and eating ice cream.
But most of all, I love seeing the sun. Seattle has a reputation for rain but in all honesty it doesn't rain a lot here. More often that not it's overcast. Until living here, I didn't realize how important the sun was to me. But on day number 3 without it, I get stir crazy. So when summer arrives and the sun is in tow, my mood shifts to a notch that the people around me are grateful for. I feel like myself again.
But with sunshine and flowers come pollen, mold, dust and weeds.
I have come to realize that my allergies are their worst in the Northwest. All the moisture is what kills me. But along with the moisture come the best things about this season. So I choose to dope up on Zyrtec and Flonase and suffer in silence because damnit! I can't let something like itchy eyes, a sore throat and constant sneezing keep me from enjoying my favorite season.