The Colors of the Rainbow in January?

January tends to be quite gray and drab or snowy and white. Either way there is not much color and because we live near two Great Lakes, as well as a smaller one, we get very little sunshine during the winter months.

And that tends to make my mood just as bleak as the sky. I do struggle with seasonal affective disorder and it's amazing how when we do get the occasional sunny day how much better I feel about everything and how much more energy I have.

But in my desire to carry out my yearly goal of finding beauty each day and focusing on those things, I managed to find all the colors of the rainbow. And in each of these items is also a bit of what I love to do so a double blessing. 

Red cranberries being turned into juice.

Yellow and purple birthday flowers from my daughter and her boyfriend.

Sugar cookies with blue icing and tasty bits of prettiness.

An orange candle from my sister-in-law.

Green houseplants that are producing new leaves prolifically 

Jars of purple goodness - concord grape jelly and some of the best tasting I've ever made.

I'm realizing if I look around me that there are so many beautiful things to see even in the drabbest of days. I also notice that when I am intentional about looking for those things and move at a slower pace that I am less likely to notice the dreariness.

Go into this week

with the attitude that

your peace,

your health of mind,

and your heart

mean more than

getting everything else done.

That your smile matters,

That feeling rested matters.

That holding the hand

of your loved ones matter.

So pause lots,

function at a pace

that doesn't pull you apart.

Honour the things that

make you feel good inside,

the things that make you feel alive.

Give time to those things this week.

Make time the gift it is,

by giving it to what really matters to you.

— S.C. Lourie