Day 41: Warmth

Thank you, God, for the feeling of warmer weather.

Mondays are often a slow start for me. Sundays tend to take more out of me than I plan for, and I usually wake up on Monday more tired than I expect… which probably means I also wake up a little grumpy.

Oddly enough, I do love Mondays. They mark the start of a new week, and they’re usually not overplanned — a little breathing room before the pace picks up again.

But today still had that tired, grumpy start. I walked to the bus stop, then drove to church with the truck windows down. Later, I drove home for lunch and back again — windows still down, of course.

It was during that last drive that I began to really slip into my gratitude. It had been building all day, but I noticed it more clearly then. A pleasant morning walk. A short, one-mile drive with fresh air and open windows. And now, I noticed the people — actual people — outside, moving about, being seen. (The flip side of this is that I am often saddened not to see people outside especially youth playing.  I just like seeing people outside.)

It was during that lunch drive that I felt human again. And naturally, I had to ask myself why.

I’ve decided it was the warmth.

It was the people.

It was the optimism that rides on a breeze when the weather turns kind.

There’s just something about warmer (not hot!) weather that makes us more... peopley (yes I made up that word). Myself included. We step outside. We wave. We say hello. We take a moment longer to be neighborly. Instead of rushing from place to place, trying not to freeze or melt (aren’t we all a little dramatic in the hot and cold?), we linger.

I think people are good year-round. But on days like this, when the sun softens us and the wind nudges us out of our routines, we become more pleasant versions of ourselves. The added hours of sunlight make us hopeful — like maybe we’ll actually do something when we get off work.

The warmth of a spring day feels us with gratitude, warmth, optimism and hope like a hug from God.

Thank you, God, for warmth and friendly faces.

It is a great day to be alive.