Here comes the sun

It was 6 a.m. I knew this because there was a loud, obnoxious sound coming from about two feet away from me. I swatted aimlessly and violently at the alarm clock hoping to make contact with the snooze button or to smash it entirely in order to stop the dreadful noise that disturbed my slumber.As a person who struggles with insomnia, the sound of the alarm clock often arouses me to feelings of sadness, anger and sometimes wrath; especially in the winter when it is dark and cold in the early morning hours."Just five more minutes," I thought to myself, but I knew that if I didn't get up out of the bed immediately, I would fall back asleep.I adjusted my head on the pillow basking in the soft warmth of my comforter and forced myself to open my eyes and meet the day.Looking around the room I became startled and confused. Fearing I was late, I shot up out of bed and checked the clock, which read 6:02.How could this be? I quickly flicked on the television to confirm the time 6:02.I looked around the room once again and began to feel a sense of peace because sneaking through the curtains and into my room were glorious beams of sunlight; something I have not seen at that hour for a few months.All of a sudden, my mind conjured up the gentle and cheery tune of the Beatles' "Here comes the sun," and instantaneously, I smiled.I know that most people do not like the winters here. First of all, it gets cold, really cold, and it seems to get even colder every year that I age for some reason.It never used to bother me. People would outright scold me for not wearing a coat or for wearing a hoodie and shorts in the winter. But now, there are days I wear my coat in the office while pondering the purchase of a small ceramic heater to place under my desk to warm my feet.Sometimes, I don't even want to step foot outside and I scowl as I make my way to my car.I am even considering a remote starter for next year so I can run to a heated car instead of shivering for half of my drive to work.Then there is the winter weather that really brings people down. Snow and ice can be very problematic and quite dangerous as well, but I can still delight in the beauty of a quiet and peaceful snowfall that blankets the earth and then experience the joy and thrill of sledding down a hill with my daughter; although I didn't even do that this year.Ice on the sidewalks and on the road can be treacherous; however, ice covering the trees as if they were encased in glass is exquisite.But what I really think takes the biggest toll on us in the winter is the lack of sunshine. Shorter days and colder temperatures means more time spent indoors and less time outside absorbing the rays of the sun, which can significantly affect a person's mood and energy level. (Maybe that is why I have been such a grumpy bird lately.)My mother just ordered a special device to provide light therapy for her to combat the winter blues.Apparently, the device mimics the light outside and can cause a chemical reaction in the brain that can improve a person's spirits. I am curious to see how that works for her.For me, the sun-filled room was not only representative of a new day, but it was also the dawn of a new season one filled with sunshine and warmth, one of birds singing and flowers blooming and the feeling of a gentle breeze in my hair and soft grass beneath my feet.I close my eyes and already I am thinking of bike riding at the Glen, picnics with friends and days at the beach stretched out in the sand reading the latest best-seller.Here comes the sun, and I say, it's all right.