Sunshine

I knew that having a baby in the winter was going to have its pros and cons (more cons than pros in my opinion). One big concern I had was “flu season” and all the fun that brings (public places and “germy” visitors), another concern was being able to get out and get fresh air - and for the baby to have some fresh air - without getting cold and sick. Sometimes January weather is not cooperative and doesn’t allow for having a newborn out to enjoy, but the weather has been amazing the past couple of days here in Greeneville. On Monday, the temps were in the mid 60’s and yesterday we hit a high of 72 degrees. This makes for one happy Mommy.

I know I’m not alone in believing that sunshine is good for the soul. Something about being out in the sunshine helps me in so many ways…mentally, physically and spiritually. Our bodies need to interact with sunshine in order to process and utilize Vitamin D. Vitamin D has many benefits, but one of the most important is its role in the strengthening of our bones. Without regular exposure to sunlight this important vitamin will be unavailable to our bodies.  Routine exposure to sunshine also helps our bodies maintain healthy nerves and more powerful muscles.

Experts estimate that as little as 10 to 15 minutes in the sun each day can dramatically reduce many serious health issues. There aren't many things that can have such an impact on our health that are so easy to do. Not only is it easy to get sunlight, it’s also free. The worry and increase of skin cancer has caused a backlash against spending any time at all in the sun. Of course, skin cancer is a very serious condition, but it is usually caused by failing to protect our skin and extreme amounts of time spent on tanning and other outdoor activities. True health is all about balance. If you eat too much, health problems will occur, just like spending huge chunks of your time tanning in the sunlight will also cause significant health problems (like skin cancer). In moderation, sunshine is in fact, good for the body!

I am so glad that I was able to get Colton out in the sunshine two days this week. I was able to kill two birds with one stone – Colton and I got some much needed fresh air, and Scout had somebody to play ball with. Being able to enjoy the outdoors at the end of January makes the winter feel like it’s passing by a little quicker. I don’t want to wish my time away, but I am very much looking forward to Spring/Summer. Since we’re still only heading into February, I’ll just be thankful for the sunshiny days we do get between now and then. Yes...sunshiny is a word!!!