Can We Talk About the Sun for a Hot Minute?

By Cheryl Ryan

And a hot minute is what we’re having in California. We’re experiencing a winter heatwave – again. During our marvelous wet December, we missed the sun, many of us became lethargic and depressed. Its absence is truly mood-altering. And even now, it’s hard not to bask in its beauty as we worry about the increasing risk of drought and fires.  

Increasingly that is my general feeling about the sun; I’m torn. I’m torn between the soul-filling energy that it provides as I leave the house in the morning. But there is also the risk of calamities and the selfish desire to shield my skin from its unrelenting midday heat (which I should have done more during marathon training). 

Ancient And Modern Alike

These thoughts got me thinking about cultures that worshipped the sun and routinely celebrated its power. It doesn’t seem like we’re one of those cultures. But the more I think about it, we talk about the weather, depend on our crops for food, and seek sunny places to vacation and honor nature. So although we may not be the Incas, I feel as though many of our rhythms and patterns are connected to the sun.

We talk about when to sow seeds to be ready for the sun’s strength. Artists stalk sunrises and sunsets wherever they can. They are driven to capture the sun’s masterful color influence over anything and everything it touches, especially as it goes beyond the earth’s edge. We plan so much of our daily schedules around the weather. We can’t take our eyes off of it when it’s coming or going.

Warming To Our Gift

It’s been surprisingly cathartic writing this piece because I’ve been lamenting our hot winter and the potential side effects. But I realize what a gift our sun is – and yet the eternal optimist in me is still hopeful that our winter will show up again to balance it all out.

A Sunny Sidenote:

I can’t believe that I’m actually writing this in February, but I’m considering sun protective gear as we start to book travel again. Some of it’s not as ugly as it used to be. These hats are trendy in San Diego but may be hard to pack. I really like this one, especially for packing, and here are some fashionable clothes for our everyday and travel life.

What are your thoughts about our sun?