Here Comes the Sun

 

Today my drop of sunshine was quite literally a drop of sunshine. Today for the first time in I don't know how long, the sun came out and you could actually feel the heat! I went outside just to stand in it. My neighbors probably thought I was weird, but that's ok. I felt like I was recharging my batteries. After just a few minutes of sunbathing I was able to go back inside and do the tasks I had been putting off with renewed energy. It seemed to me like everyone was a little more chipper than usual today because of the sunshine. Spring is not here yet, but the fact that days like this are now possible makes the cold days bareable. January, goodbye. I will not miss you.

Handicap Parking for the Win!

Today it snowed and snowed and snowed. I hate winter. I realize that by feeling this way I am forcing myself to suffer at least 1/4 of the year, but no matter how hard I try I just can't get myself to like it. The cold, the snow, the ice, the slippery roads, and worst of all having to scrape off your car! Gross. And so inconvenient. That being said, I decided to give myself a snow day today and so did my roommate Becca. We both made this decision independently. No one else took a snow day, Utah is too tough for that, but we both felt pretty content lazying around on the couch in our pjs while the rest of the world moved on.
     As great as that was, by late afternoon, I started feeling a little stir crazy. I needed out of the house! So today, my drop of sunshine was finally facing the elements and going out with Becca. She came up with the great idea of going out to dinner for some good ol' Panda. That was yummy, but the best part of our outing was actually stopping to pick up a handicap parking pass from the DMV since we were out. You see, Becca broke her foot a few weeks ago and now her foot is in a big honkin' boot (we call it Joseph). Well, I have been acting as her chauffeur which means that that ticket to luxurious, easy access parking is now hanging in my car- and its good through April. We couldn't get it and then not use it, so we decided to go shopping at the mall to try it out. Oh man, we were not disappointed in the convenience of handicap parking. If I were short, I would totally bury all my pride and get myself a handicap parking pass. It's so worth it. Yes, Becca and I were quite pleased. Breaking her foot was bad, but at least we can count this as a blessing! The only thing that made the evening better was buying the most ridiculous, shiny, two-toned, hot pink colored leggings for only 5 bucks. Becca got the green ones. Those have got to be useful for something right? 

Why "Drops of Sunshine"?

It all started my freshman year of college. It was the only time in my life that I went running regularly (I know, probably a shocker to anyone who knows me now that I use to run willingly). It helped that I had a very determined running buddy who got me out the door each evening. Being in our first year of college, life was sometimes really stressful and most days usually just consisted of long hours on campus doing boring stuff - homework, quizzes, tests, work, reading...lots and lots of reading. It made it hard sometimes to come up with anything fun (or at least not depressing) to talk about while doing our laps. It was then, in my attempts at making positive conversation, that I started asking the question: "What was the best part of your day?" because even in the most uneventful/horrible days, there had to be something that was our favorite moment even if the only thing we could come up with for that day was a funny YouTube video or a cute boy smiling at us in class. 
        I call these moments drops of sunshine in an otherwise hazy day. They are like that moment when you step out of a cold, dim-lit building and into the sunlight outside and you finally feel the sun's rays hugging you with warmth. To me, that is the best feeling.

       I believe that if we reflect on our days that we will find those drops of sunshine. Its important that we do because it's only when we notice them that we can appreciate them. I don't believe that we are limited to only one drop of sunshine a day either. It's just that somedays they are harder to find than others. But there is always one - there has to be because no matter what there has to be a best part to your day. All you have to do is think about it and choose it. 
       I am now in my last semester in college, I don't go running regularly, and except for facebook I don't have any contact with my old running buddy. But I still love asking that question, so I decided turn it into a blog. This is weird for me. I never thought I would join the blogging world, but here I am. I am hoping that this will help me to be a more positive and grateful person. I really need that right now because quite honestly, as I sit here on my couch trapped in my apartment by the snow that won't stop dumping outside, I feel like I could use a little extra sunshine in my life.
       So here it goes. These are my drops of sunshine - my tender mercies from the Lord...