Sunshine On My Shoulders Makes Me Happy

There is something amazing about the healing powers of the sun. This weekend, I stole a couple of hours from the day and planted myself in the backyard by the pool ~ book in hand ~ cool drink nearby ~ I couldn't want for anything else in the world at that moment in time.

Summertime always summons a huge vortex of nostalgia for me. The memories come swirling in so fast and furious that they almost take my breath away. Spending my childhood in Texas, summer was all about the sun and water ~ any form of water ~ whatever it was, you must get in it or fry your body to a crisp! I still am torn between my two favorite bodies of water: oceans and rivers.

Every summer we used to rent a beach house right at the water's edge on Bolivar Island. Wild horses couldn't drag me away from the thundering motion of the waves. We would also spend many hours floating down the refreshing Guadalupe River on big inner tubes. To this day, every time I catch a whiff of cypress trees, images of the river come with it.

So ~ despite how bleak things may seem for me sometimes, I am finding slices of life that transport me above all of the muck ~ giving me a moment of pure joy.