Moderation is the key
Well hello sunshine!!! What a beautiful Sunday afternoon it was yesterday. I finally broke out of my indoor slump and went for a walk. Most of you know my trail name is Black Bear for a host of reasons. One of those being I tend to hibernated when it is dark and too cold. I don't know if I am getting wimpier or the winters are getting tougher, either way, during the winter months I tend to stay inside. Not a good mix for someone who lives for the outdoors.
Yesterday after church and breakfast I was at the kitchen sink where I can be found for several minutes sometimes hours per day. The sun was bright and the sky was dotted with white fluffy clouds. The window I was looking out frames the front yard but the normal view is obscured by a 7 foot high snow bank that has accumulated from the roof avalanches. Luckily the first floor level of the house sits off the ground several feet or else there would be no view. I looked at the mound of pots, pans, and plates, then looked at the beautiful sunshine and decided the work could wait. I removed my rubber gloves, invited Bruce and Barney to go. I was not waiting. I wanted to get outside before the urge and or sunshine passed. It was a "balmy" 22 degrees without any wind, 30 degrees warmer then a few days ago. It felt like a heat wave.
Once outside I decide to wait for Bruce. Half the battle for me was just getting outside. In the winter I find it such a chore to get ready. First I need to check the weather and temp, then choose the right gear. Can't dress too warm or else I will sweat, If I don't have enough coverage then I could risk frost bite. Then is it icy, do I need to strap on my ice creepers? But the big issue is I am a little fluffy right now and to be honest the extra weight makes it hard for me to bend over and dress my feet. Today I didn't care, I wanted out. As I waited for Bruce I took advantage of the sun before it dipped behind a cloud. It felt so good.
While I was soaking up the UV rays making vitamin D my thoughts drifted wondering how something so enjoyable can also be so harmful. Sunshine is just one of the many wonderful things in life we partake in that if we get too much can be harmful and even deadly. Almost anything that is a treat or that one finds pleasure in, if it is over used it probably causes harm in one way or another. Drinking is pleasant in small amounts but too much causes a whole host of issues. What about sugar, who doesn't like the sweet taste of it in their favorite form. Like Mary Poppin sang, "A teaspoon of sugar helps the medicine go down." But pop a soda a day and see what happens to your waist line and AC1 levels, not to mention your tooth enamel. The same can be said for any of our comfort foods. The effects don't stop with just substances we ingest it can also be things we do like gambling, watching tv, screen time, sleeping, working, even fitness. All these activities can be fun to participate in but where is that line when it becomes too much?
I write this not so much for you, my readers, but for myself. The key is moderation and it is something I struggle with. Bruce says, I am all or nothing. When I do something I do it to excess. After all, my love handles didn't get there all by themselves. It doesn't matter what it is I do, I do it to extreme. If I sit down to read, I read for a few hours. If I cook, I make a 5 course meal. When I plan a party, it's a PARTY! When I make a new friend, I am all in. When I go for a hike, it's six months long. My new year's resolution was not to give anything up, or change my life, it was to seek moderation. I still need a little work. Yesterday I lied down for a nap about 2pm and got up this morning at 6:50am. That was some nap. I came downstairs to find the dishes soaking in the cold, chunky water just as I had left them the day before.
Moderation is hard to do when whatever we are doing feels so good. But even too much of a good thing no longer is good. So as I work on keeping things in perspective keep me in mind and I will do the same for you.
Emily