A Single Sunbeam

My cousin posted a quote on her facebook page that got me thinking about the weather and our moods. The last week has been overcast, foggy, cold and muddy as the snow continues to melt. The dogs have been grumpy, interrupting our sleep at night with their restlessness and the gang of six turkey hens keep insisting on scratching through the only mildly damp bed of leaves that are covering the flower beds next to the house. They make a mess as they scratch the leaves all over the sidewalk to get down to the soil. I can't believe they are finding bugs to eat but they have the instinct to scratch so the flower beds are their best bet.

Back to the quote: “A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.” St. Francis of Assisi. Every now and then the clouds will part and the warm sun is so welcome. I get an energy boost and my mood lightens. It's so obvious that it happens for everybody around me. I think that's true metaphorically as well. How often does an encounter with a cheery person make us feel better? It's easy to be down with the crowd or grumpy with the turkey hens. It's a choice to try to be the sunbeam. Life's too short not to look for the joy in life.