Spring....We Are Waiting with Anticipation!!!

The month of February has proven to be a tough month weather wise in our little town. We have had hardly any sunshine, which makes me sad! We have had some snow...but nothing that couldn't be handled, with the exception of the ice storm, but just dreary days absent of sunshine. I love the sunshine and I love beautiful weather, probably why I could never live in a place that has six months or more of cold weather.

This week the sun actually shined a couple of days, which made me feel excited for spring. One of the sunny days, I decided to spend my lunch hour in my car, as it was too cold to be outdoors. While I was eating my lunch I pushed the fabric section of my sunroof back so the sun could actually shine down on me. The warmth and brightness made me happy and I could actually feel a difference in how I felt and my attitude.

So why does the sun make us feel happy? I asked my daughter and she said because dark and dreary is a good way to describe depression and the brightness of the sun is a good way to describe happiness. A good answer indeed...but is there a scientific explanation for this? I decided to use my googling skills to see if I could find an answer...and of course I did. This very question was actually posed on yahoo and one of the responders to the question (bazsmudge) had a great answer. He said:

"Sunlight stimulates the pineal gland in the brain. This produces certain chemicals called 'tryptamines' which improve our mood! Also, Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is our main source of vitamin D, important for your bones, muscles and immune system, so get out there, but be careful!

I loved that explanation...so now it makes perfect sense...in a scientific sort of way.

I am looking forward to spring and the sunshine and happiness it brings to me. In the meantime I have planned a trip to Sarasota, Florida (in two weeks) to see my beloved Reds Team in spring training! I can't tell you how excited that makes me feel. Seeing the Reds and the opportunity to be in warm, bright, sunny weather is definitely a priceless, anticipated event!