sunshine

This week I have had a very minimalistic, relaxed schedule. Between school and work, I had plenty of time for spending time with my friends and family and enjoying the beautiful weather. Although no great, astounding epiphanies came to me whilst enduring my school week, I still wanted to write. I thought back over my seemingly boring few days, considering options that I had for topics. Biology would probably put everyone to sleep (as it does me on occasion), my novel that I am reading for English is nowhere near as positive as I’d like these posts to be (Emily Brontë sure knows how to make everything go wrong via Wuthering Heights) and I can’t imagine writing about selling hiking attire and sandals would interest many, despite how much I personally enjoy it.

When ‘the weather’ first lightbulbed into my mind, I quickly pushed it aside; despite the handiness of the weather as a small talk conversation starter, the idea itself seemed quite boring. But, in my similarly somewhat boring week, the weather was truly what I was the most grateful for. (Don’t get me wrong, I love both school and work lots too, but that’s beside the point.)

When one of my close friends pointed out to me that winter had legitimately been 7 months long, I almost didn’t believe her. But when she reminded me of our first snow day being on October 2nd while watching snowflakes fall on April 2nd, there really was no denying it: almost two thirds of our year had been white and snowy (on and off, of course). Snow is beautiful, skiing is fun, and Christmas isn’t Christmas if it isn’t a white one, but we had had enough. Thankfully, the third week of April, the sky smartened up and, after listening to our many complaints and protests, let the sun shine and the snow therefore began to melt. Up until that beautiful day, wonderfully lit up by a bright shining yellow ball in the sky, I hadn’t realized that I had been in a slump. However, walking to school in a t-shirt and shorts, lying on the grass to read my book, and even the sunburn that I shortly acquired made everything in life that much better.

I had a desire to get out of bed in the morning and go to school, and I even found myself wanting to work much harder while I was there. Graduation and starting the next chapter of my life felt so much closer when the sun shone, despite it only being one day closer than the previous day’s countdown. The two and a half months ahead of me seemed as though they would just fly by now rather than dragging on as they had seemed to while surrounded my snow and cold. I began to reconnect with friends of mine, getting in touch in order to make plans to swim or watch baseball or rugby games while sitting in the nice green grass. My friends and I watched games, watched sunsets, took walks, went on runs, and got ice cream just simply to be outside. Evening walks with my mom and dad became a regular part of my schedule as well, allowing us time to connect, chat, and catch some rays. We got to walk along many of our favorite paths, one of which passes by the frog pond. Hearing them croak and ribbit only finalized the exciting transition into spring.

Sunshine can be such an incredible, peaceful source of happiness on days that seem otherwise bland, or on the most joyful, perfect days possible. I hope we can all appreciate that massive star and everything that it can make more sunny and bright.