The Sun 20/3/10
I have just returned from two weeks in South Africa, where I lived from 1975 to 1987, twelve years. The purpose of my visit there was ministry with my husband and also we took some time to visit with friends.
After the hard winter we have had in Scotland, the sun and heat was most welcome. It is the first thing that hits you when you get off the plane. I lifted my face to the great fireball in the sky and basked in the warmth of it. Then I remembered all the warnings about how bad it is for your skin and also how dangerous it can be!
More wrinkles, I do not need!
I bent down to get the wrinkles out of my tights and realized I wasn’t wearing any!
So, I had made sure I had plenty of sun screen rubbed on every day, in every way!
Years ago, we did not have the information available to us, that we have today and no doubt about it, we did some stupid things in our ignorance. I remember lying in the sun and smearing myself with baby oil to get a better tan. Talk about a fish fry!
You could always tell a new immigrant or tourist by the red legs and the patterned socks under the sandals!
Kidding aside, I am thankful that we now have the knowledge of just how damaging the sun can be and we have great sun screens and block out lotions that can keep us from getting burned. They work well, if we use them, but the tendency is to ignore the warnings and run out and overdose on the rays. Can we be blamed if we feel the need for some vitamin D which we get from the sun and for the wonderful heat on our skin. Did I mention the feeling of euphoria you get just by being somewhere without rain, wind, grey skies, etc, etc, etc.?
You will probably have heard of the ‘SAD’ syndrome.
S Seasonal
A Affective
D Disorder
Apparently, the further north you live, the more people suffer with this malady. We have shorter winter days and longer nights and have the driech grayness and drizzle which comes with the beautiful and rugged Scottish scenery.
But......... hiding behind the clouds is the great fireball. The sun. Winter is but for a season and be sure that Spring will follow, bringing the daffodils, crocuses, snowdrops and the cherry blossom. What an awesome sight to behold.
Yes, I did enjoy the great weather in South Africa and the outdoor lifestyle, but, I am thankful for my birthright and when the sun shines here, what a beautiful sight. And it lasts in the summer from 4 am to 11pm! A golfer’s paradise! You can still see the ball at 10 in the evening. I could say more about golf but I will leave that for another blog.
When we came back home from South Africa, in 1987, we made the decision that we were not going to complain about the weather here. We chose to get on with life whether or not the sky was grey or blue, or it was wet or dry, hot or cold.
You can choose to be sad, mad, or glad.
Choose glad and you wont let life pass you by and you will enjoy everything, regardless.
Summer will soon be with us. Bright colors, ice cream, children out playing and we can make the most of it, or count the wet days and miss out on the dry ones.
Life is daily, but so is the sun.
It rises in the East and sets in the West, and it is always there, even when you don’t see it.
See beyond the scene (seen) and you will enter into a new dimension filled with good stuff.
And even if we don’t get much sun this summer, there is always fake tan!
Nan
