Friday, February 10, 2012

You Are My Sunshine



Growing up in South Florida, my family from NY would visit each winter.  And my aunt would always extend her visit about three times.  She would always plan to stay an extra week after my uncle and cousins went home.  And then would keep changing her flight each week so that she could "have just one more week of sunshine." 

As a kid, I found this statement bizarre.  I would constant remark that we had the same sun in Florida that they had in New York.  Not that I minded her staying longer.  I actually loved it.  But the comment that came up every time she changed her flight each and every year sort of baffled me.  As I grew older, it was a running joke in my head.  "Oh let me guess, you're staying longer to get another week of sunshine?!"

And then years ago I moved up here near my family in the North Pole Upstate NY.  Oh.  I get it now.

Because, yes childhood me, we do only have one sunshine in the sky.  But adult me now understands that you can go weeks without actually seeing said sunshine.  It can become a thing of lore up here in the heart of winter.  It exists.  But it can start to feel like more of a belief system than a tangible reality.

Yesterday though....was amazing!  Cheerful, yellow, sunshiney all day long!  The whole day just felt extra happy, despite feeling a little crappy with a cough that appeared out of nowhere. 

I am forever saying that I can handle any temperature up here.  I don't love blustery cold days, but I can deal with them just fine.  As long as I see the sun shining from time to time.  It really, truly does make the BIGGEST difference in my mental state.  A little sunshine has the power to take me from Eeyore to Tigger. 

Oh Mr. Golden Sun...please shine down on me more often!  You're like a great big New England happy pill. 

4 comments:

D @ Naptime in Suburbia said...

As a fellow Upstater, I concur completely! Not only do I relish the sun when it actually shines, but if it's above, say 35 degrees, the car windows might be down (esp. if it's sunny), and the baby is in the stroller.

Europafox said...

We could scratch the 'new' part there and apply it to us! I guess there is a reason why they call it 'New' England, right?' I read your post and let out what only could be described as a 'wistful sigh'! I CANNOT WAIT for spring!

Palm Trees, Pearls, and a Classy South Carolina Girl said...

Said sunshine is FABULOUS until around August where I live and then it becomes the worst, muggy-ist, sweaty-ist month of the year! I love the sunshine, and SC for that matter, but some days I do wish we could get a little snow like yall get up in NY :)


http://pearlspinkandsouthern.blogspot.com

REBrown said...

It's been so wonderful feeling here the past few days - it needs to keep it up!

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