It's common out west, but doesn't happen often in these parts: three days straight with nothing but sunshine. The prevailing winds pick up moisture off the Great Lakes, giving us more cloud cover than most areas of the country. The times I've been to California, Arizona, or Texas, I got so tired of the unbroken sunshine that I actually longed for a cloudy day. I understood as never before the relief hidden in the Biblical phrase of being hidden in the shadow of a rock. Where the sun beats down incessantly, relief is not just a matter of comfort, but often of survival.
But here, a few days of continuous sunshine is a rare treat that lifts the spirits, warming not only the body, but also the soul. The continual grey skies of winter have actually given us an actual medical condition called SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, in which people suffer from depression simply because of the dreary effect of the continually overcast skies. I myself have experienced the relief that comes from a midwinter trip to Florida when my folks wintered there. SAD is a very real experience. But not today. Today is GLAD; Glorious Light All Day, for which I am thankful tonight.
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