Last week, a remarkable letter arrived in the mailbox for our soon-to-be high school graduate daughter.

It was written by her to herself—during 5th grade—on the topic of her daily life, goals, and dreams. Some thoughtful teacher had the foresight and follow-through to create this amazing tool —and it was wonderful to see our busy daughter stop, reflect, and reminisce as she read the letter.

Then, at a talk at our parish this past weekend, the speaker challenged us to make one spiritual resolution for the summer and email it to ourselves, but to schedule the delivery of the email for late August. That way, the summer resolution will not only spur us to act, but also give us a chance to reflect when it arrives in our inbox in about 12 weeks.

Traffic jams. Lines. Full pews. Hugs. Graduation parties. Vacations. Dinners with friends. Our family is suddenly dizzy—pulled in so many directions. On one level, it’s all profoundly encouraging. But it’s also a stark reminder of how quickly we can jump back onto the “hedonic treadmill”—returning to a “culture of busy” lifestyle with more and more activities.

This week, while the month of June and the lessons of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity are still fresh, let’s pause for a moment at Level 2—Person & Relationships, and make that summer resolution. As we consider how the interpersonal communion of the Holy Trinity is at the heart of family life, what resolution can we make to deepen the relationships in our marriage and family this summer?

Here are a few ideas to help us translate “interpersonal communion” into our relationships in the next three months:

1. Available, receptive, bonded: These are some attributes of the Persons of the Trinity. The baseline for how your family can reflect the Trinity this summer is quality time—loads of focused availability to one another, of receiving the blessings of your loved ones, of strengthening family bonds. If you’re distracted with workaholism or media overload, consider setting a goal focused on your presence to your family. (Go deeper on this point here.)
2. Prompt, generous, consistent: These are attributes of a loving family, and yes, God’s “family of Persons” in His divine life. Are you prompt in responding to a loved one’s need, but not particularly generous in how you serve? Or are you generous in responding, but you struggle with consistency? Consider setting a goal that seeks to strengthen an area where you need to grow. (Go deeper on this point here.)
3. Welcome, listen, serve: These are attributes that we see so beautifully in the Father (welcoming us to the table), Son (serving us with His life, death, and resurrection), and Holy Spirit (listening to and interceding for us). How do you welcome, listen to, and serve your spouse and family each day? This summer, consider taking up this welcome-listen-serve way of life in small, practical ways.

Summers go fast. Come to think of it, 7 years go fast—as witnessed by the letter that arrived in our mailbox last week! We all know how easy it is to jump back on that fast-moving treadmill. But as we face the joys and challenges of re-entering a faster-paced life this summer, why not be intentional and even compose that email-to-self for delivery in late August?

“Christ’s love compels us,” St. Paul wrote (II Cor. 5:14). Yes, Christ’s love compels us to reflect the interpersonal communion at the heart of the Trinity. In the weeks ahead, may Christ’s love compel us to strengthen, by God’s grace, the living, relational heart of our marriage and family!