Sunshine

After weeks of snow and gray skies, the glorious sun broke through the cloud cover so that we could actually see it!

This morning I went to the "Young Authors" conference with David, my 10-year-old. He brought along the fantasy story he's been working on for months, "The Adventures of Jason Sylo." I was the "sharing leader" for a group of children, including David, and it was a delight to hear the stories they had written: everything from a real-life tale to fantasy, from mystery to poetry. The children were more excited about their home-made books than about the piles of new books by the visiting authors. We bought just one book by a visiting author--about making a book. A local coffee shop was selling lattes and mochas. I'd brought my own cup, and they made a mocha to fit it. David didn't have a mug of his own, so I let him have a hot chocolate in a to-go cup. I'm not going to be a fanatic, here, and kill a child's joy. Plus, I wanted the mocha, but I wasn't going to drink it in front of him and leave him with nothing. We savored our drinks on the way home, and mine tasted so good to me because it was NOT in a styrofoam cup.

Writing your own story, making your own coffee, discovering your own joy. These practices are easier when the sun is shining. But the sun is always shining, my yoga teacher reminds me. It's just that so often there are clouds between us and the sun, so we forget.