Yesterday the sun came out ... and if you live in a state where this is a daily occurrence during the winter, you probably won't appreciate the weight of those words.
I'm normally one who loves the rain.
Cold, gray, overcast days are some of my favorites ... we start a fire in our fireplace, put on extra layers of warm clothes, turn on cheerful music and enjoy our cozy home, while the rain keeps a steady drumbeat on the skylights above.
During the summertime, if we go a week or more without rain, I am moody. I crave rain like an addict - I get twitchy without it.
But usually by the end of January, when the days are short and the nights are long and the sky seems to be permanently gray ... I start longing for the sun.
And by longing, I mean a physical ache that is triggered by anything related to sunshine :
a photo on my camera roll of Lily swinging outside, the light of the afternoon sun breaking through the trees
a picture on Pinterest of a tropical island -the sun reflecting off the warm inviting sand
an image of a sunset in a magazine, rays of light reaching across a vibrant sky
... whatever the source, the effect is immediate. Almost instantly I feel that inward gnawing, an aching for light and warmth and sun.
So yesterday morning, I opened up the weather app on my phone, as is my daily routine - and can I tell you my heart leapt at what I saw ? Not one, not two, but THREE days here in Oregon that promised sunshine and not a spot of rain.
I vowed to my children that we were going to soak up as much of that liquid gold as humanly possible before the weather shifted back to typical soggy winter fare.
And we have.
We took an hour long walk yesterday afternoon, leisurely strolling through the walking trails that twist through our neighborhood, marveling at the beauty we beheld.
Birds chirped merrily as we waved to passersby - it seemed our entire town was on the same mission to get outside and enjoy the sun.
And even though I know we are at least six long weeks away, it was encouraging to see promises of springtime everywhere I turned....
According to my trusty weather app, we now have just one more day left to marvel at that mysterious golden ball in the sky before the rains roll in again; one more day to soak up its goodness and store it away, reminding us of good things to come ...
"Winter, slumbering in the open air, wears on its smiling face ... a dream of spring."
~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge
