Feel good story

If the sun is cloud covered, it looks like perpetual twilight every winter here on the east coast of Canada. Add the wind and it’s enough to keep me inside. However sun on a calm day changes everything. That bright ball in the sky which eludes us so much this time of year, has a profound effect on how I feel.

Add the sun and I want to go outside for a walk, take photos or walk among the shops downtown. Even the wind isn’t a complete deterrent on a sunny day.

The sun on your face on a calm day is welcome after so much time indoors. Warm coats, hats and mitts mean your face is the only area exposed. The light makes you reluctant to go indoors again though, wanting to capture just a few more rays.

Even if you don’t venture out, a sunny day warms the house. An armchair near the window is a perfect place to read a book in the warm embrace of the sun. Just a few more months and a beach chair will replace the armchair and a breeze will cool off that intense heat. That’s to come. For now, the warmth of the sun shining through the window is almost perfect. Even the wind doesn’t matter here though you can hear the gusts hitting the house.

In the car, even the necessity to use a visor against the sun is welcome compared to the alternative. There is a sense of elation which comes from a drive through the country on a sunny day, even in winter.

Soon the sun will melt all the snow and ice, soil will warm and embrace seeds for various crops. Again the balance of sun and rain will be crucial.

For now though, those rare perfect calm sunny days of March keep us looking ahead to the next one and the next, until the sun returns with its spring and summer heat and light. For now, we absorb when we can and feel good.