I should admit that I'm a "night owl" by nature, inclined to go with the idea that "if God had wanted us to see the sunrise, He would have scheduled it later in the day." My alarm clock (and others) have made sure I've arisen & seen the sun, but it's slow going, although I have seen my share of beautiful sunrises. These occur when I'm on vacation/camping or when I would, as an Auburn poetry professor once described it, "approach dawn softly from the other side." (I don't know if Rod T Smith was quoting himself or someone else, but I detect a sympathy with the idea of an all-nighter.)
I also sunburn easily and overheat easily in the direct sun.
Which is why this doesn't say "Get the Daily Recommended Amount of Sunlight for Adequate Vitamin D Production."
I know from news articles & personal experience that a daily dose of some sunshine makes me feel happier & more optimistic... if it's not burning up outside. Fresh air is a good pick-me-up... when it's not pollen season... ... which is almost everyday in the South. (Or mold season or dust season or air too cold to breathe season.)
Which is why I'm more likely to stay inside like an environmentally controlled mushroom. It's safer. There's no bird song or flowers or surprise breezes, but it is predictable. No dressing for it. Don't have to worry about one of the kids getting hurt, either. I'm lazy.
Yet, outside is magical. We discovered all sorts of red caterpillars on the passion flower vine on the back fence. Turns out they are Gulf Fritillary Butterflies, which are a vibrant orange, thin-winged species that feeds exclusively on the passion flower vines. We saw eggs, caterpillars of all sizes, a chrysalis and butterflies. Wow! Our own butterfly habitat! We've found box turtles patrolling the back yard, hummingbirds enjoying the blackberry lilies in the front yard. My kids are as avid of acorn & leaf collectors as any squirrel. My son's inquiry of "what's this" with the display of a "mini watermelon" led me to learn about the "Guadeloupe Cucumber," and it's controversy "yes, it's toxic, because if you eat enough, it's a powerful laxative," versus "no, they taste good, just eat the green ones." (The outside is magic; the Internet is interesting.)
Who am I kidding? I love the out-of-doors! I pick up lizards, chase frogs, want to catch a snake. I know which weeds are more approved as wildflowers. I can "chee" like a cheesed off squirrel. I think picking blackberries in the middle of a bramble is fun. I attract less than my fair-share of blood suckers, and I don't seem to be readily reactive to poison ivy. As I said, I'm just lazy. And worried. Even backyards and walks down the block aren't as safe as they once seemed to be. Just as I am denying myself joy because of my concerns & selfishness, I'm denying my little ones, too. So I'm doing this in little steps, returning to the world. It's missed me.
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