Shield Against The Storm

I am not, and never have been, a basking-in-the-sun type of gal.  My seasonal preference has always been the stormy, chilly, dark and rainy days of fall and winter. That said, lately, I'm feeling the need for some serious Vitamin D.  I woke up feeling really pissy a week or so ago, long night with two much thinking in my head.  So my big sis and I went shopping.  I think it’s my sister’s solution for what ails ya, and I ain’t complaining.  I was walking around J.C. Penny's -- ho hum -- halfheartedly looking at clothes, then jewelry, back to the clothes rack and that's when I saw the sun literally hanging on a hangar like it had every right in the world to be there.  It was explosive!  A yellow-gold top with an appliqué around the bottom in a lighter shade of yellow and matching Capri pants with shiny silver studs designed on the outside of the pants.  Now for anyone who knows me, I’m a background type of person, low key. I've been seen in black, brown -- sometimes red, but never in anything screaming, I’M HERE DAMMIT! You have to pull on some serious shades to catch the full effect of this outfit without being blinded.  But it was so outlandish and loud that it made me smile.  I tried it on and it was perfection.  I found a multi-colored necklace with beads in shades of blue, red, yellow and orange, the perfect accessory for an outfit designed by the Sun.  I was meeting with the ladies in my department on Thursday and thought it would be just the thing for debuting my new threads.  All that was needed on that day to make it perfect was some natural sunshine.  But no such luck, it rained, it poured; the sky wept like a baby.

When I woke up I was like a little kid on her first day of school and excited about wearing something new and pretty.  I put on my yellow pant suit, and accessories with some red slip-ons -- put my wig on with that just tussled look to it and after adding a touch of red lipstick, I was on my way.  I sat on the bus to Seattle feeling like a Diva.

Once in Seattle, I headed for Dilettante, my favorite place for hot chocolate and with a little time on my hands before meeting the gals, decided to sit in peace and calm and enjoy the moment.  A woman walked up to me grinning from ear to ear, "You look like the sun," she said chuckling.  Her smile was contagious and I smiled back and thanked her.  My heart was skip roping, I felt so uplifted.  While walking to Sazaracs, a very eclectic place to eat and the quintessential establishment for a woman in a bright yellow pant suit -- another lady fighting to keep an enormous umbrella upright against the rain, smiled and commented, "Lady, you were just too determined to bring out the sun today. Love the outfit!"  I’m grinning like a Cheshire kitty.

On some days I wake up feeling like shit.  On the day of my luncheon it was raining like something ridiculous but because of my yellow outfit I woke up smiling, and felt high on life all day long.  Funny, what something as simple as a change of clothing will do for your spirits.  Some days are just stormy, and on these days, man, I’ve got to shield myself against the gloom with a little somethin’ somethin’. 

Reach up and grab whatever makes you feel better, a friend that helps you find the silly in the normal so you can laugh like girls; a gut-busting type of insane laughter that makes your stomach hurt and your eyes water.  Light some candles around the bathtub and soak your body in bubbles that smell delicious.  Find somebody to pamper you with a massage or a mani-pedi.  Yesterday I got a nice card with a Barnes & Noble gift card in it from my sister in California, so today after my workout I went to Barnes & Nobles, ordered something hammy and cheesy and topped it off with an apple-Dutch cheese cake, and shared a quiet moment with myself.  A bit naughty on the calories I must agree, but it made me feel really good.  Each day that we wake up is a gift, so if the universe is offering us one more day, then why not enjoy the hell out of it? 

“The greatest act of faith some days is to simply get up and face another day.”
― Amy Gatliff