February Sun

Written by: Joy Seunarine; Listen to Your Body

In the thick of a February chill, the sun’s beauty stands out. February is cold. February still means weeks of winter still to go. But the sun in its benevolent ignorance knows nothing of this. It shines. It shines brightly. It gives us more precious minutes of day light.  It refuses to take a back seat to the cold. My mom often said, “the sun has no right to shine when it is so cold”.  I completely disagree.

This year I have been reflecting on the beauty of a February sunny day.  To me, the sun takes on a persona insisting that you hang tight while you endure the winter.  Paradoxically, when the sky is clear and the sun shines so brightly is when you hit the extreme colds of -20 degrees.  This persona  shares so much. It tells me that no matter what, there is always something to be grateful for.  It tells me that there is benevolence in any situation.  February sun feels like a warm arm across my shoulders.  Summer sun’s are delightful, too, but you need to dodge them a bit with sunglasses, sunscreen, hats and time of day.  Not so the February sun.  It wants all of you; I respond back with drinking all of it in.  I want all of it. I sit in the window of my office with the sun full on my face. I watch my indoor plants basking in the sun protected from the wind and cold. I notice my plants stirring with the promise of a springtime rebirth.  My plants start to stir from winter slumber. I am noticing that five are in flower right now.

My valentine this year is the beautiful February sun.