Waiting for the sun

What is good in your world, right now? This is a short and simple little post about appreciating the tiny things that are so easy to overlook, but which can mean the world to you.

When was the last time you felt as if the weather matched your mood? How were  you feeling in that moment?

Last Saturday (23 April 2022). I awoke feeling flat. Nondescript, but tending toward a low mood. The meteorological conditions in that moment seemed ideally suited to my temperament. Grey and overcast. The mood of the day could go either way. Waiting for the sun.*

The present moment conceals surprises

Where you start off in life – or on any given day – will not necessarily bear any resemblance to where you end up. As I wrote in What you are about to become:

“Often what is truly important in life may only become clear once it’s in the rear-view mirror. You can never know what you are about to become. Life’s capacity to surprise is inexhaustible.”

The present moment may well conceal that surprise something that will turn things around, were you but to take the time to refocus and to recognise it.  There can be more value than you might imagine in occasionally taking stock, looking at the world around you, and recognising all that is good in the present moment.

For once in life, I took my own advice, and took a step back to reflect. A number of good things were present all around me at moment…

Espresso filled my cup.

Beautiful photography filled my PC screen, courtesy of a tweet from my friend Andrew Berlin, gifting me a sneak preview of his contribution to his photography club’s exhibition.

Some newly discovered and quite lovely music filled my ears. This was Figure Skating by Porij**, a sort of modern-day shoegaze/drum ‘n’ bass concoction that would have been my perfect listening if it had existing back in 1997. And which sounded and sounds like just my cup of espresso in 2022.

I took a look outside. The sun wanted more than anything to cut through the clouds.

And later that day, the best news of all. A tweet from my friend Rachael Heenan, an eagerly-awaited update on the family from Ukraine to whom she had offered a home:

“Our family arrived last night – Their home was bombed the day they left. Travelled for 4 days. Queues at borders. Now safe. My huge thanks to @annietrev and her office for their support in navigating the visa process. 1/2 the family granted at first #Ukraine️.”

Returning to that morning, the sunlight at last succeeded in burning through the clouds, sharing its radiance.

How does present moment find you?

Waiting for the sun? The present moment may be a lot better than it at first seems, if you simply adjust your focus ever so slightly.

May today be nothing but kind to you and yours.

FOOTNOTES

* I take the title of this post from the song Waiting for the Sun by The Doors. You can find this song on the album Morrison Hotel, rather than on the album Waiting for the Sun, which you might have thought a more obvious home.

** I happened upon Porij via a mention in a lovely Guardian article entitled ‘It’s just good energy!’ How TikTok and Covid made drum’n’bass hot again.

IMAGES

• Poppy pollen via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sky on 23 April 2022, photography by MJCarty.
• Patch of closed tulips via Wikimedia Commons.
• A photograph taken near London’s Liverpool Street station by Andrew Eberlin. My thanks to Andrew for his kind permission for me to include his photograph in this post. Thank you, sir!