Sometimes, You Just Need a Little Sun

Though I sit writing on a rainy, chilly day, we have finally had some days here where it seems that spring has sprung. The daffodils have peeked out of the ground, the trees are in bloom, and the temperature has reached 70+ degrees at least a little here and there. Last weekend, for the first time in a long time, I realized that the day was filled with sounds of birds in the trees. When I head out to the gym at 6:30 in the morning, it's actually light outside and I'm not bundled up in a winter coat and gloves (this definitely makes it much easier to get moving).

I am a true lover of the seasons. I adore the fall and winter months. I've never considered myself to be someone who was affected much by the long, gray days of winter. But it seems that the arrival of spring is really making a big difference in my mood. . . and my optimism.

This week, I began my usual routine of taking walks on my lunch breaks whenever I can. I'm fortunate that my office is in a pretty residential area, so it's easy for me to get away from traffic and people and take long walks on quiet streets with nothing but my thoughts and my iPod. In addition to that, Dan and I have been taking short walks after work whenever we can. Last Thursday, we were walking down the tree-lined streets of our happy little town and I just closed my eyes, feeling the sun on my face and breathing in the spring air.

When I find myself in the messes and crises and worries that one sometimes finds oneself in, I tend to think that I need a big change: a new job, a new house, a vacation. And it's true that I might those things. But sometimes--in the meantime--the littlest things can really do the trick. Sometimes you don't need a grand gesture or a big change or a neatly wrapped solution. Sometimes, it seems, all you need is a little sun.