Summer Party

[DISCLAIMER]

As I understand, the first day of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere for 2025 is Monday, September 22, 2025, at 2:19 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time. This means that today is the last full day of summer. As such, I thought I’d express a bit of gratitude in the current post.

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines gratitude as “a sense of thankfulness and happiness in response to receiving a gift, either a tangible benefit (e.g., a present, favor) given by someone or a fortunate happenstance (e.g., a beautiful day).”

In common parlance, gratitude is merely the state of being grateful. What better electronic dance music (EDM) duo expresses gratefulness, if not Flavour Trip (i.e., Amii and Jimmi)? When listening to their most recent DJ set, posted in July 2025, I heard “Summer Party” by Mylène.

Lyrics of the track aren’t as important to me as the joy and pleasure, as well sensation of lightness throughout my body, that I feel when hearing it. When the song plays, I reflect upon the highs and lows of summer 2025, remaining grateful for having authentically experienced life.

What I mean by this is, given my daily practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I recognize the impermanence and uncertainty of life. All things inevitably pass, as there’s no guarantee for ups, downs, or anything in between or on the periphery of expectation in life.

For instance, at the beginning of summer, I watched the child of my longtime friends, “Ariadne,” graduate high school. It was an exciting time, because it seems like just yesterday when she and I played My Little Pony in her bedroom when she could barely speak. She’s all grown up now!

As summer progressed, I kept in touch to hear updates on how joyful Ariadne was about heading off to college. Meanwhile, I supported Ariadne’s mom during her process of grief regarding one of her many children no longer remaining present within the home, as the APA defines grief as:

[T]he anguish experienced after significant loss, usually the death of a beloved person. Grief is often distinguished from bereavement and mourning. Not all bereavements result in a strong grief response, and not all grief is given public expression (see disenfranchised grief).

Grief often includes physiological distress, separation anxiety, confusion, yearning, obsessive dwelling on the past, and apprehension about the future. Intense grief can become life-threatening through disruption of the immune system, self-neglect, and suicidal thoughts. Grief may also take the form of regret for something lost, remorse for something done, or sorrow for a mishap to oneself.

This is what I’m referencing in relation to the highs and lows of summer 2025, as I remain grateful for having authentically experienced life with its impermanent ups and uncertain down. In specific, I was able to support Ariadne in her joy, as well as her mother during her grief.

Within me, there’s a summer party taking place. Summer reminded me to acknowledge gratitude when considering the full scope of emotions, sensations, and experiences of life. To me, that’s worth celebrating! Thus, I’m grateful for what was while looking forward to what may come.

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As the world’s foremost EDM-influenced REBT psychotherapist—promoting content related to EDM, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters. 

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

Photo credit, fair use

References:

American Psychological Association. (2018, April 19). Bereavement. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/bereavement

American Psychological Association. (2018, April 19). Disenfranchised grief. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/disenfranchised-grief

American Psychological Association. (2018, April 19). Gratitude. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/gratitude

American Psychological Association. (2018, April 19). Grief. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/grief

American Psychological Association. (2018, April 19). Mourning. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/mourning

American Psychological Association. (2023, November 15). Separation anxiety. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/separation-anxiety

Apple Music. (n.d.). Mylène. Apple Inc. Retrieved from https://music.apple.com/au/artist/myl%C3%A8ne/1676600726

DJ Friendly Traxx. (2025, July 3). Mylène - Summer Party (Extended Club Mix) [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/ck7dwoRhZEA?si=Nf6ihGzxH58V-Aq1

Flavour Trip. (2025, July 30). Morning disco house music mix - Soulful outdoor cooking | Funky groovy DJ set afterwork playlist [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/BKdb1xNEGoY?si=5NMFT7y4wLq3sfjB

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Hollings, D. (2025, February 28). To try is my goal. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/to-try-is-my-goal

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Wikipedia. (n.d.). My Little Pony. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Little_Pony