Sending You Sunshine

It’s February, winter here in the United States. Today was one of the coldest I’ve felt all season while on my morning walk. I know this is often a challenging time for people who crave light and the warmth of the sun. Those who dread winter.

Thinking back to my younger days, I remember not being happy on Sundays, because they reminded me that the next day was Monday. Monday meant the weekend fun was over and I had to go back to school or work. One day, it occurred to me I was completely ruining one day of the week, 1/7th of my life. I could love Sundays. I should love Sundays! How could I shift or flip my thinking?  Mmmm. I gave myself Sundays to read, to play, to visit with family and to fill my tank with love. No errands. No chores. Just things that make me happy, happy, happy. That felt so good it led me to think, what’s wrong with Monday? I love my work. I love the people I get to work with and for.  I realized I that I didn’t have to save fun for Sunday. Every brand new baby day is a great one if we believe it is. Now I tell my friends and family that I’m allowed to play on “school days”, too. I don’t have to save it for the weekend. I love a midweek dinner with a girlfriend.

Winter is 25% of our life. Is it possible, if you hate (oooh, I don’t like that word) winter, you could find another way to think about it? Maybe you could book a vacation right in the middle so you have something wonderful to think about when the days are dark? My sister plans her next visit to her little happy place in the sun before she leaves the hotel each year. She knows she’ll be going back just when the shorter days are beginning to bother her. Could you book a trip for next year at this time….. or next week if you’re able?

I look for things that are different, things I might not see or appreciate in the other seasons. For instance, I’ve been taking pictures of the bark on various trees that wouldn’t be as visible to me when their canopy is full. I can hear the birds singing, but I have to look hard to find them because they blend in with the ground that is clad in earth tones and tree branches of the same color!  I’m going to put up some of those pictures on my website, but it might be a bit like “Finding Waldo”! I won’t be able to see those birds in the spring because the bed will be filled with herbs and the branches full of leaves. I read by the fire or take long, hot baths. You’re getting the picture? I’m looking for some of the joys in a winter day to share if you’re willing.

Here’s a happy thought, my calendar page in Joan Borysenko’s  Pocketful of Miracles three days ago. “Today is a cross-quarter day, halfway between winter solstice and the spring equinox. The sun is becoming an ever greater presence; the days are growing longer…..” Winter is already more than half over!

It felt important to write about this on a blustery winter day. Someone I love dearly scared me to my core when she confided that she occasionally  considered leaving her car running and closing the garage door during the dark days of February!

If you’ve ever felt that way, please accept this gift of HOPE and sunshine. Close your eyes, imagine your toes in the sand, the sun warming your face and the dolphin playing in the waves. Oh, whoops, that’s my happy place!…..but I’m really good at sharing:)

I’ve got to run. The phones are ringing and I’ve got Caribbean vacations to book! I’m a travel agent, so I get to go to a lot of sunny spots (in my mind) while I’m helping my clients plan their winter getaway. I love my job! Pssst, go to your local travel agency and pick up a brochure with pretty pictures of the places you’re dreaming of. Picture yourself there until the cold passes. There are plenty of bright pictures on my website, too.

If you have a friend, co-worker or loved one who doesn’t manage the dark days as well as you do, maybe your smile or the sound of your voice could brighten their day? Invite them to Kellie’s World. The door’s always open! (www.inkelliesworld.com)

Brittany HOPE is my daughter’s name. She’s an angel now. I called her Britt or Hope. We called her our sunshine. She is my inspiration and reason for creating this website. Her smile brighted the room. I hope these messages brighten your day.

I’m sending lots of love and HOPE to you today!

Kellie