Soak Up the Sun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inspired by the title of Sheryl Crow’s song, Soak Up the Sun.

How I Cherish the Sun! 

I was driving home from picking up a new pair of glasses and listening to OPB (Oregon Public Radio). The host was interviewing Sheryl Crow. They played “Soak Up The Sun,” one of her most popular songs. I couldn’t catch  all of the words, but the refrain had caught my attention. Along with the sunny sky that day (it’s been raining here nearly every day for weeks), it was synchronicity!

When I got home , I looked up the lyrics. These are the words that resonated with me..

I’m gonna soak up the sun
I’m gonna tell everyone to lighten up
I’m gonna tell ’em that I’ve got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame I’m looking up
I’m gonna soak up the sun

As a Teenager soaking up the sun
When I was a teenager living in sunny eastern Washington, nothing much was said about avoiding too much time in the sun. My friends and I spread out our towels at the swimming pool in town or the park nearby, relishing the warmth of the sun. For me, it was a friendly hug that warmed my body and my heart.

As a Young Adult soaking up the sun
Lying on the dock at my parents’ summer place on Newman Lake, I felt the warm boards under me and the warm sun above me. With eyes closed, I experienced the brightness of the sun. Have you ever noticed how the light of the sun gets brighter when you acknowledge and thank it? This was before I realized that everything in creation responds to our consciousness because it has consciousness. 

Today in the Pacific Northwest
I have come to cherish the rain and remind myself that I live in a green wonderland because of the rain. 

I often watch the weather app on my phone to see when the sun will be out. In winter and spring, it might only show up for a short time. I plan my day around that window of opportunity.

I sit on the new stone wall at the edges of my yard, face the sun, and soak up its friendly rays. Again, I thank the sun. It responds by shining brighter.

Checkers and I soak up the sun
Checkers, my cat, loves to sit in the sun or roll in the dirt in the sun. These days he’s very tentative about coming into the yard because he almost died from injuries caused by what I think was an unscheduled meeting with a coyote. I leave my front door ajar so he can streak back into safety if he gets spooked by something.

I keep an eye on him to make sure he stays in the yard and he keeps an eye on me to be sure I’m still there.  Then we both relax—me in my lounge chair and Checkers Exploring the yard.

©Arlene Arnold

This is a bit of heaven,
appreciated even more
on those days
when the sun’s rays
are available for Checkers and me to catch.

 

Lighten up with the sun
As Sheryl Crow says in the refrain of her song, I’m gonna tell everyone to lighten up. You may be surprised to learn that when we allow the sun to help us lighten up, we receive that help on many levels.

• It can open our hearts
• The sun can give us a hug (Who doesn’t need a hug?)
• Soaking up the sun offers us vitamin D that lifts our spirits
• As the sun grows brighter with our attention, we are communicating with consciousness

And then, when the days are dark, you can set out a beautiful picture of the sun. Talk to it just like you did when the sun was present. You may see it shine brighter with your attention.

Or, imagine your most beautiful experience of the sun. Live it again even as it rains or storms.

You and I are manifesters. What we see in the mind’s eye can be as powerful as what we see with our physical eyes. That picture you are looking at or an experience you are remembering can bring you warmth, hugs, and messages of comfort, as well as encourage your body to make its own vitamin D. (I do think it’s possible, just not scientific yet. )

Nowadays we need to check in with the body to see when its had enough sun. Take a hat with you and a light shirt and use sunscreen where needed. 

Most of all, take time to let the sun bless you!

Cherish its many gifts. You will feel lighter and brighter—guaranteed!