I like sunshine. I like most weather, except for the “WINTRY MIX”, that’s winter when it’s drunk; wet slush falling and somehow it’s dark grey even before it even hits the street. But even on the worst days, I know that sunshine exists somewhere, scientifically. And metaphorically, I’ll boldly add.
I remember in grade school there was a girl in my class that used to call out when my mom came to pick me up; she would yell out “Your sunshine’s here!” And it was, kinda, there was gonna be dinner and talking and maybe even The Love Boat. No, I think that came on Saturdays. Even if the day was really crappy (on a grade school level) I was gonna get to go home and maybe read a comic book. Y’know, when my homework was done.
In the book “Fight Club”, the main character talks about buying furniture, and how once you have that perfect couch you just tick it off the list of things you’re supposed to have.
As a young adult, I began to think of peace of mind like that. Once I paid off my student loans and had a little nest egg and maybe a place to live with under 50 payments left of it I would be happy, y’know, like a tall actress wearing only a white Oxford shirt taking her piping hot freshly ground cup of coffee out the sliding glass door to look at the sun rising over the ocean. Is that too specific? Does that reveal a lot about me? Or happy like a cat lying on it’s back with all of its feet in the air. If you don’t have a cat like that, you really need to get one. Or happy like “Summertime Rolls” by Jane’s Addiction, headphones on, lying on the floor, afternoon sun on your face. Happy, all the time. Cause I would have that happy thing taken care of.
But happiness is not a one time acquisition. We need it everyday.
Ok, I understand that if we say that we need something everyday, and it’s functional, then it’s a necessity.
But if we say we need something everyday and it’s pleasurable - then, you know: addicted.
But nobody’s addicted to water. We should think of happiness like water. You need, like 40 oz a day. Honestly, clears up your skin.
Think how the mental health of this nation would improve if we decided that we all required a daily dose of happiness. The phrase “I deserve to be happy everyday” would be heard by more than therapists or rooms full of GOOP products. It would be much more healthy for you than a candy bar, or one of those giant afternoon coffees seven times the size of a human bladder.
I think there’s a certain amount of happiness that belongs to each of us. It isn’t always fancy; I mean my summer happy place is the freezer room in COSTCO, a massive 40 foot by 40 foot concrete box with a plastic drape door containing mostly bags as big as an adult’s head filled with asparagus, strawberries, lettuce and other produce. It is not ice cold, but cold enough to negate the most blazing of summer days instantly- and any humidity in the air is absolutely negated at the door. I usually walk around slowly pretending to consider the need for three quarts of green beans, or 10 cups of blueberries… my pace is a slow stroll through a tranquility garden of affordable produce, whereas just outside is the frenetic mayhem of 1100 people with giant metal carts in a slow motion capitalist version of MAD MAX.
Although I don’t visit that room everyday, I do think about it every time I pass in front of the air conditioner, which sometimes is just enough to make me smile.
We never really say that we “deserve” a breath, or a heartbeat, or water, or use the facilities if I may be so delicate.
Those are necessities. And so is peace of mind.
You deserve a smile. Patience. A minute to get yourself together. We deserve a break today (I am demonstrably old enough to require several breaks a day now. Sometimes even a nap.). You deserve someone you like calling you a word you like, like, sweetheart or darling. Or sugar.
And no matter what’s going on in the skies above you, even if it’s not happening right now, you deserve beautiful weather, every day, Sunshine.
Thanks for your time.
Everyday Sunshine