Keep on the Sunny Side

Every spring, something interesting happens on my street as the snow melts. On the opposite side of the street, the snow melts off the lawns about two weeks earlier than on my side. Folks have been out raking for a good week or more, while half of my lawn is still covered by a crust of dirty ice and snow. I don’t really mind that much since I am not a huge fan of yard work and I know that it will get done eventually – by my husband!

It makes for a good comparison, though. Same street, same snow, same weather, same sun. The difference? The neighbours across the street get more direct sunlight on their lawns.

It reminds me of attitude. We can choose to live in the shade or we can choose to live in the sun.

It’s been more than a year since Covid disrupted our lives and although things are looking up because of vaccines, people are weary. We hear about Covid fatigue, which includes ZOOM fatigue, isolation fatigue, and all manner of FATIGUE. I get it… kind of.

I know that mental health issues are real and that people can’t just ‘buck up’. On the flip-side, as a person who is generally positive about life, I think there is something to be said for CHOOSING to live on the sunny side of the street, as it were.

As I went for my walk recently, I couldn’t help thinking about how grateful I am for life itself, and how, for the most part, my life has been very positive and fulfilling this past year. I work from home anyway and no longer have small children about, so there was little change in that regard. But it’s not just about my work. I am choosing to fill my time with positive activities and frankly, each day goes by very quickly because it is so full.

My work as an online support teacher combined with my duties as the current president of InScribe and all of my writing projects fill at least half of my day. I am alone most of the time since my husband works away and lives in a camp the majority of the time, but I find there are so many enjoyable things for me to do I am rarely (read NEVER) bored. Isn’t that what we’ve all been craving? More time to do the things we want to do?

I started learning German a little over a year ago and I continue to spend at least an hour a day (or more) using both Rosetta Stone and Duolingo supplemented with various books and written exercises. Why? Well, it’s just something I always wanted to do…

I play the piano every day, trying to hone my skills beyond their current state. (You are never too old to get better at something!) I go for a walk every day and I also exercise using the various exercise equipment we have in our basement. I do these activities EVERY WEEK DAY, as if it were part of my job, and it’s starting to pay off!

Sometimes I sew, paint, draw, do word search puzzles, read and yes, I often watch TV in the evenings. I’m currently binging on Murdoch Mysteries, but this past winter I also watched The Expanse, Dark Matter, Bridgerton, This Is Us, and some others which I don’t remember off the top of my head.

Yes, life has been different and I understand that different people have different ways of coping. However, I am genuinely happy and peaceful. My daughter and her little family are in my bubble, so they visit me every Sunday, and I see my other grandchildren over video more than in person. I attend virtual church, but I don’t feel disconnected, since I do a lot of praying and Bible study each day, too.

Despite my house’s position relative to the sun, I am choosing to live on the sunny side of the street. For me, it’s a choice.