After almost two weeks of rain (this is a coastal rainforest!) this weekend we have sun. And like the sunshine in Colorado after a big snow, sunshine in southeast Alaska after prolonged rain is brilliant, making the water of the Tongass Narrows twinkle like jewels, and streaming in through my windows to brighten my rooms and my spirits.

I used to think, when we lived in Colorado, that after a big snowstorm the skies had been washed with all the moisture, and the sunshine of the following day had a special quality. There was a stronger presence of the light, it was more luminous, clearer, than on other days. Maybe it was just my imagination, or maybe there is some scientific truth in what I thought I saw. And since rain is just another form of precipitation, it makes sense that the same thing seems true here. I don’t know if it is the amount of rain or snow that makes a difference, or the length of the storm…maybe it takes a significant amount of water, in one form or another, and enough time, to wash the skies. Like the difference I see in my windows when I clean them, it is noticeable to me. And I always have a special moment of recognition and enjoyment when the skies clear and I realize that I’m witnessing a day of magic once again.

Or maybe I’m just starved for the sun…who knows? Anyway, I’ll enjoy it and be thankful for a break in the clouds, and wonder again to myself and to others why there is such power in the sun to cheer people. What is the connection? We are all affected by our environment, I understand that. I know about Vitamin D and seasonal affective disorder, about the benefit of added light in winter months. I know there is science surrounding the connection. But I’ll never understand why the simple addition of sunshine makes me want to skip through the house with a light heart. And maybe I don’t want to know…maybe it’s more magical to simply enjoy the moment without analyzing the reasons behind it: to accept it as a gift of life and nature.