Freedom from S.A.D ness...Paying it forward warms the heart

Tonight at the Henderson's Friday Night Thought-Tale Hour, Tonight at the Henderson's Friday Night Thought-Tale Hour, our minds are on this Polar Vortexes we've been experiencing for a few weeks now.  Certainly it's colder and darker in many other parts of the planet.  But when you're in minus anything temps for more than a day, it's hard to see anything but your thermometer.   Added to this frigidity is an absence of sunshine - at least for any extended period.  It's icy everywhere, creating the opportunity to see if you can still pull off an electric slide move almost daily. Did I mention you can count on defending yourself in your vehicle all the way to wherever you are driving?

All of this adds up to a bunch of stressed out, crabby, 

tired and shivering humanity. 

There's an outbreak of a condition that I've known about for a long time, as I watched some of my dear friends and family deal with it every winter - Seasonal Affective Disorder - or S.A.D. for short.  Since it doesn't have a cure, we can only treat the symptoms, which got me thinking about how I could triage the entire S.A.D.ness around me.  The good news is, giving out this medicine has a nice side effect.The best way to treat this dreaded condition is with light and warmth; ideally given together.  People in the pits of this place need little mini-tanning beds to carry around with them.  They want the white of light, not a dulled grey or yellowed florescent.  The warmth they are looking for is that deep Ben-Gay kind of heating that goes right to the bone and just simmers there.

Well, I don't have a tanning bed in my briefcase, but one thing I do have is - 

The shining light of a smile, or the warming of a kind word, the 'hug' of an encouraging look and the fire of laughter.  This week, I just went out into the world knowing I would encounter S.A.D.ness, and had my prescription pad ready.  There were employees at the market afflicted. Neighbors stuck in the snow. Contractors working in the weather. Crossing guards were standing steady in the wind.  Garbage men picking up my trash can covered in frost, and a guy who didn't care that the Subway worker was late due to a flat she had to change in minus 3 degrees - he wanted his damn sandwich now!  In these, and many more cases, I put out my brightest smile, warm wave, the strongest offer of help, a cup of coffee in a to-go cup and encouraging word of appreciation.  Crazy what a difference these subtle, very inexpensive things make to the symptoms of S.A.D.ness.

Even more, how the blow back does something incredible for the giver!

A friend from work and I were talking about the concept of 'Paying it Forward' this week, and I think this bitter Winter has given me a perfect visual of how magical it can be.  You see, every time I muster up the warmth or energy to give some semblance of sunshine to another human, I can't help but get some shine on me.  So, in an effort to help others out of their S.A.D.ness, I've inadvertently helped myself stay free from the virus.  When you are helping someone who's sick, you don't expect payback (unless you are less than human).  Even the thank you's get to be met with, "Spread the warmth!"  Paying it forward warms the heart, and Lord knows we need it.

So tonight, we are drinking to Human Manufactured Sunshine with a drink called appropriately, "Sunshine."  It's a little cold, but a little cold never scared a good Midwesterner - it just draws us closer to the fire.  CHEERS FRIENDS!

Joy's Sunshine Cocktail

2 oz of Apple Rum

1 oz of Effen Cherry Vodka

3 oz of Pineapple Juice

Pour all into a shaker with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with something bright and cheery.  For me, it's an orange slice and gumdrops.