A Moment To Myself (2010)

The breath of life is in the sunlight and the hand of life is in the wind. ― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

[one_half padding=”4px 10px 0 4px”]Of all the creatures attracted to sunlight, none seem to enjoy it quite as much as do cats. We have three of the critters that Kat has rescued and all three know exactly where the sunlight is going to hit in each room at any given moment of the day. They have their preferences, of course. Our bedroom gets more light than anywhere else and each one has a favorite spot staked out. They will be underfoot all morning until the sun is up, at which point they disappear to their appointed places in the sunlight and there they happily nap until mid-afternoon when the light begins to fade. Rather makes one jealous of being a cat, doesn’t it?

Cats aren’t the only creatures who enjoy sunlight, though.  This summer has been an unusual one in that the persistent rain has kept skies more grey than usual; there hasn’t been as much sunlight to go around and I ‘m pretty sure that has affected people’s attitudes. Folks in Northern states, especially, endure the harsh winters with the full expectation that spring will come along and bring a sufficient amount of sunlight to compensate for all those cold, dreary days of November through February. When that doesn’t happen we feel cheated. Sure, one can always lie in a tanning bed in hopes of coaxing the melatonin to the surface of your skin, but that’s really no replacement for being in the actual sunlight.

We enjoy those warm days of standing or sitting in the sun for they are all too fleeting. As I forced my body out from under the covers this morning, I felt an ominous nip in the air. The morning’s temperature is below 60° for the first time since May and looking across the forecast for the next week, that trend only seems to move lower down the thermometer. Autumn is most surely on its way and it won’t be long before sunlight alone won’t be enough to keep us warm and comfortable. We’ll be looking for sweaters and coats and hoodies and blankets that won’t hardly leave our bodies for the next six to eight months.[/one_half]

[one_half_last padding=”4px 4px 0 10px”]Nothing feels much better than lying naked in the sunlight. Even with autumn rapidly approaching, we can follow the habit of the cats in finding those places inside where sunlight regularly appears and make our winter homes there; those precious rays of sunlight warming as they pass through the glass. There’s a scientific explanation for why sunlight feels warmer after passing through glass, but we’re not nearly as interested in that as we are with how we feel sitting or lying in the sunlight. Of course, if you have windows with tempered or tinted glass, then you’re just screwed.

One of the things I like about today’s picture is the precise lines the sunlight creates across her body. The borders of the window are clearly evident, to the point that it almost seems as though the sunlight is drawing a line between her breasts. The narrow patch of sunlight creates a strong visual contrast that our minds automatically translate as warmth even when the picture is captured in black and white. We feel the increased temperature of the sunlight, and the coolness of the shadows as they deepen. Lying in the sunlight like this, naked, comfortable, alone, is one of the rare joys that life does not often accommodate. These moments can hold great meaning, or provide much-needed respite from otherwise ugly days.

Oh, if we could only be more like cats and spend our days curled up in the sunlight, naked, on the bed. I’m sure we would all be much more pleasant creatures if basking in the sunlight were a regular part of our day. Sure, there’s the whole thing about being responsible and productive members of society; I suppose we need to attend to those matters as well. Still, when we see that splash of open sunlight, just sitting there in the middle of the floor, for just a moment, wouldn’t it be nice to be a cat?[/one_half_last]