Reflections on Life and Faith,
by David Keating

A Bit of Sunshine

April 21, 2007

     The sun has not shone in three months. Well, okay, it hasn't been that long and in fact it was bright and sunny yesterday morning. But it feels like three months and that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

     As I look out the window it's raining. It was snowing when I walked the dog this morning. What's up with that?

     I know, I know, I shouldn't complain. I look at the news and see people digging out from that really heavy water filled snow, the stuff we used to call heart attack on a shovel. I don't have to shovel anything. It doesn't even blow onto the balcony in any great amount.

     There's an old saying that goes "I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet." And it's a very good old saying, because it's easy sometimes to feel sorry for ourselves over things that are really not all that serious.

     But once in a while I think that we just have to do a little self care. Even if our lives are not filled with earth shattering crises on a daily basis, we each have our own challenges and our own sources of stress. If we want to change the world, it's important that we look after ourselves so that we are able to look after others.

     This isn't a matter of self-indulgence. Certainly there are times when we're going to go flat out, pushing ourselves to do just a little more than we thought we were capable of. I've often found that when I reach the end of that kind of effort that I feel a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Call it a healthy and happy exhaustion.

     However, there's a growing body of research that talks about the negative effects of "continuous low level stress." I think of it as canary syndrome. Miners used to take canaries into mines because they were sensitive to poisonous gases. If the canary keeled over, the miners knew that they were breathing something bad, even if it hadn't affected them yet.

     Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD – and who says doctors don't have a sense of humour) is similar. Some people find short winter days so depressing that they suffer a variety of health problems.

     Human beings are pretty good at identifying and countering obvious threats. We know to step away from the snarling dog, to dodge the careening car, and not to answer the phone at supper time because only carpet cleaning companies call then.

     It’s when the threat masquerades as daily life that we get into trouble. We can't run away from the grumpy kids, or the morning commute. And eventually we'll give in and answer the phone even though we know it'll just ring again tomorrow anyway. And after all, the person on the other end is just doing their job like the rest of us.

     The Golden Rule says that we should treat others as we would like to be treated. Which generally means with respect and consideration. Which also means that we need to treat ourselves the same way.

     So when we begin to notice that the world doesn't seem quite right, and that the sun hasn't come out in three months, even though it the skies were clear yesterday, we need to do for ourselves what we would do for any friend.

     We need to offer ourselves a little break. We don't need a week in the Bahamas (although if you're going, I'd hate to see you go alone. Be happy to keep you company). Just allow ourselves to step back and take a deep breath.

     So this week, while you're making time for others, make some for yourself.

     Take a few minutes and, even if it's raining, let the sun shine in.

David Keating