Worshipping the Sun God

Last Saturday, we had another lovely spring day, and despite a bout of slush/snow on Monday, this week continued to be full of 60 and 70 degree days. Still, we Iowans don't seem to know what to do with such beauty. When I was waiting for the bus on a Tuesday, most of the people around me (including myself) were still bundled up in coats, hats, and scarves even though the temps were in the upper 50's. We all kind of looked at the sky confused, wondering, "What's that yellow thing? It's bright and hurts my eyes."

I guess we should all take a lesson from Sully. Last Saturday, he spend an hour on the back porch, stretched out in the sunniest spot he could find. Now this might seem like normal behavior if one has a normal dog. Ours is not a normal dog. He loves to be outside, but he usually requires that we be within two feet of him at all times (unless he happens to get off the leash, and then he will run as far away from you as possible. No, don't try to figure out this insane lab logic; it will just make your head hurt). If we let him on the back porch by himself, he'll usually just sit, alert, in a spot where he can still see us. And if we move or if 20 seconds pass (whichever comes first), he'll start crying, barking, and making a general nuisance of himself. It's like he knows that the minute we're out of his sight - that's when the fun begins. That's when we bathe in vats of peanut butter while chomping on milkbone treats, go out to hunt for rabbits in the back field, and then, we cuddle. And he will. not. miss. it!

But last Saturday, on an overdue, spring day, the kind of day when you keep saying, "It's SO nice out!"- like you have to remind yourself just what a nice day is, Sully was able to put his anxiety aside and settle in for a long, porch nap.


That's the kind of day I wish for you - the kind of day where you can set all your anxiety aside and bask in the warmth of the sun.