With Memorial Day in the rearview mirror, we cruise into June excited for the official start of summer. For many, this season marks a favorite time of year, filled with warmer days, long weekends outdoors at the beach, pool or lake, and possibly some fun vacations while school is out of session, or we enjoy time out of the office. I’ll admit that summer is a favorite season for me, checking all of the boxes on the list of things that make life feel better—sunshine, warmth and time outdoors with family and friends.

As a New Jersey native, summer for me also brings back fun memories and longstanding traditions. It’s safe to say I have spent nearly every summer of my life “down the shore,” as we like to say here in the Garden State, with Memorial Day kicking off the first of many weekends where we pack the car with bags, kids and beach chairs, and make the drive down the Garden State Parkway to our favorite beach spot. The sight of bumper-to-bumper traffic and the smell of hot asphalt signal summer to me as much as warm sand, riding the waves and listening for ubiquitous ice cream trucks offering cool relief on a hot day.

Of course, with summer usually comes sun, and many eyecare professionals and eye health organizations alike offer guidance and tips this time of year on reasonable precautions for eye protection. Most notably among these are sunglasses. As with all eyewear, the options for sunglasses these days are endless, and depending on needs and personal preference, patients and consumers can protect their eyes while showing off their personal style, with frames ranging from a simple, unobtrusive wire to a wide, luxurious acetate, lenses that span traditional dark browns and grays to photochromics and fun colors, and correction levels that range from planos to prescriptions. A glimpse through our pages this month will showcase the many choices available, including those in our Solar Power style feature.

Another highlight of summer, and of our June issue, is Pride Month, a celebration, commemoration and recognition of the LGBTQ+ community, which kicked off on June 1 and runs through the end of the month. Events are planned across the country, and these provide fantastic opportunities to join in local celebrations whether as a community member, friend, supporter or ally. In this issue and in honor of Pride Month, our Frame of the Month on p. 72 features the eye-catching 2024 Pride Eyewear collection, unveiled in New York City in March as part of the edCFDA Pride Eyewear Initiative. This year’s exquisite collection features a rainbow of stunning colors and styles, and the 20/20 team and I were honored to attend its debut this spring.

As we float into summer months, I look forward to grabbing the latest issue of 20/20, putting on my favorite pair of sunglasses, and stretching out on a beach chair to safely enjoy all the season has to offer. I encourage you to do the same.

—Anne Cooper
Editorial Director, 20/20 and Vision Monday
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