SUNNY WITH A HIGH OF 75

Originally the idea for this post was part of a list of things that I have learned from college so far. And I will post about that eventually, but I realized that I had a lot more to say about this one topic than I thought. With the weather that we have had in the last few days, it has had me thinking a lot.

A couple days ago it was almost 80 degrees and sunny. And now we are back in the 40s with rain and the kind of wind that keeps turning my umbrella inside out. It's driving me crazy.

Recently, I was introduced to the song "High of 75" by Relient K. I can't tell you how many times I have listened to this song in the last few weeks. One of the main lines is

"Lately, the weather has been so bi-polar, 
and consequently so have I." 

People always make fun of the weather as a topic of conversation, but when you live in the upper-midwest it is such a relevant topic. It can easily go from sunny and 75 to 25 and snowing in a matter of a couple days. I interpret "High of 75" in a couple of different ways. When he says,

"Don't know whether or not
 How sad I just got 
Was of my own volition,
Or if I'm just missing the sun"

I think of how much happier I am when the weather is nicer. Everyone gets so excited about the warm weather, and it feels so nice to be outside. But since they are associated with Christian rock music when he says,

"And now I'm sunny
With a High of 75
Since you took my heavy heart 
And made it light. 
And it's funny how you find
You enjoy your life
When you're happy to be alive."

it makes me think of God taking away a burden, and finding peace with your life. And I love that. I think there is something so wonderful about discovering what makes you truly at peace and happy. That last part keeps ringing through my head, "And it's funny how you find you enjoy your life when you're happy to be alive." Sometimes I think I lose sight of how many things there are to be grateful when I am stressed out and overwhelmed. It's easy to get caught up in everything that is going on. I think part of the reason I am so much calmer during the nicer weather is because I am more likely to take the time to stop and ground myself. Saturday I went on a run by the lake, and I stopped and sat on a picnic table for a while, admiring everything around me and just being. Sometimes you just need to be.

It might sound silly, but I try not to subscribe to the belief that we need to constantly be on the go. Who's keeping track anyway? Productivity is relative. So, take some time to check in with yourself. What is it going to take to get to your "sunny with a high of 75?"

In case you are wondering: According to Wikipedia, the lead singer stated the song was influenced by Northern Ohio's "undependable weather." Go figure.