“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.”
– James M. Barrie (Leaves of Gold, pg. 83)
As a general rule, people seem to have a default demeanor about them. Once you get to know a person, you can predict what mood they will emanate when you encounter them. Among the variations are the types of people who almost always exude negativity. Being around them feels like a dreary rainy day. Perhaps you can think of someone who fits that description. I have known a few, fortunately very few. It’s not that they are bad people; that isn’t the case at all. It’s just that the skies over them always seem much more gray than blue. And unfortunately, the mood has a way of rubbing off on those around.
Over the years I have endeavored to live life with intentionality. A small element of that is the desire to not be a “gloomy Gus.” It’s a work in progress; I still have days when my attitude needs a serious upward adjustment. Still, my hope is to be someone who spreads sunshine rather than clouds. I would want someone’s day to be a little brighter after we have crossed paths. Sometimes I even find myself consciously preparing for this. For instance, I may be pulling into the parking lot of the bank or the supermarket. The thought will run through my brain, “Someone in here needs to encounter a pleasant person today. I’m going to be that person for them.” It really is a simple discipline. Again, sometimes I may be preoccupied and forget. When I remember, though, it gets my mind into the present moment where a brief interaction could brighten someone’s day.
Now for the best part. As Barrie observed, being a source of sunshine for someone else has an interesting way of brightening your own day. I have experienced this regularly. Solomon recognizes the same dynamic when he observes, “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9). I’m not exactly sure how it works, other than to say it is God doing what God does best through His wondrous grace. My own overly simple explanation is that consciously sharing sunshine with someone else can be a much needed reminder that there is sunshine in me, even if some clouds are trying to hide it.
I remember the first time I ever took a commercial flight. The day was overcast with complete cloud cover. No sunshine was to be seen. In the first few minutes of the flight everything outside looked the same. Soon the plane was in the clouds and nothing could be seen. Then, in an instant, sunshine! The contrast struck me significantly. Everything looked different—once we got through the clouds.
In our angry and depressed society, many people are living today in cloud cover. Perhaps you could bring a little sunshine their way. I suspect it will brighten your own day as well.
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 