"Summertime and the Livin’ is Easy
Fish Are Jumpin’
and the Cotton is High..."

Oh, your daddy's rich
And your ma’ is good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry

The famous opening words from George Gershwin’s opera, Porgy and Bess, with lyrics writen by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin, mirrors the abundance of scientific evidence that attests to the physical and mental health benefits of summer and the self-imposed “time out” it inspires so many people to take.

Clinically speaking, the Vitamin D that sunny weather provides is essential for the regulation of calcium and phosphorus absorption, the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth, and also proves to have a positive effect in the fight against many diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and multiple sclerosis. In addition, evidence shows that summertime can help reverse the negative mood and depression often caused by the social isolation that winter months, severe weather and fewer hours of daylight can bring.

Certainly, during the two years of living in a Covid-induced nightmare, where loss and suffering was felt by so many, our members heroically worked to help maintain a sense of normalcy in the lives of countless New Yorkers. For them, whether they are listening to the notions of Bob Marley when he sang: “Sun is shining. Weather is sweet. Make you wanna move your dancing feet;” or, heeding the advice of the Beatles who sang: “But tomorrow may rain, so I’ll follow the sun,” summertime offers a much needed respite and a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us, and the benefits of taking time to “smell the roses”.