Wasting Sunshine

When we first moved to Alaska and were waiting for all of our stuff to arrive, our family decided to begin each Saturday morning scoping out and visiting yard sales--something that we had never done a single time before in our ten years together.

The yard sales were beneficial for many reasons. They helped us find great deals on "real winter gear--(because apparently Texas only sells "fake gear" for that weird white stuff that falls out of the sky.) They helped us familiarize ourselves with the roads, neighborhoods, parks, and other surroundings near our new home. They helped us find a $2 game of Boggle, circa 1968 and a $15 electric keyboard to keep my kiddos occupied and myself a little more sane.
And very importantly, they gave us an excuse to get out of an empty house.

But perhaps the best thing I scored at any of those yard sales was an unexpected conversation with one of the locals in her yard.
She was so informative, telling us about all of the youth leagues in the area, and the restaurants, the weather, the road conditions, and the schools. I honestly think I talked to that stranger for a solid thirty minutes. When we got ready to move on to the next yard, she said something that really stuck:

"Just wait 'til winter. You'll love it! Everyone stops going so crazy trying to capitalize on the sunshine--worrying that if we sit still, then we're wasting the day. "

The only thing was, the piece of her parting words that stuck with me was probably not the part she intended, and that just made everything...sticky.
Instead of hearing"You'll love it! Just wait." I only heard the words
"You're wasting the sunshine."


Immediately I became restless. What in the world was I doing in ALASKA wasting my fleeting sun and summer days on YARD SALES?! Surely, this activity wasn't big and adventuresome enough!
Why didn't I research a hike?
Why didn't I reserve a boat?
Why didn't I schedule a cruise?
Seriously, Liz? A Saturday morning yard sale?! When did I get so boring and old?! GAH!


During the next several weeks, I went full-on crazy person.


If it was inside, I didn't want to do it. My kids would start making requests for specific activities and I would tell them "No, let's save that for the winter." I don't want to waste my sunshine on being inside, thank you.
If it was at all related to anything that I could get/do in the lower 48, I didn't want to do it. I don't want to waste my sunshine on anything that is not uber-Alaskan, thank you.
I started scheduling us activities that had us up and out the door at 7:00 on the weekends. Even if everyone looked exhausted, I didn't want to stop. I don't want to waste my sunshine sleeping in, thank you.
When my family finally did get all of our stuff, I had a hard time letting them play with it. Why do you want to build that puzzle and read that book when there are only so many more sunny days outside? Don't waste them!!
My poor husband would come home after a full day of work and I would shoo us right out the door again --just staring at him until he figured out that meant we were going on a family bike ride or to a restaurant on the river. I don't want to waste my sunshine on family time at home, thank you.

(See? That chick is whack.)


Then, the most glorious thing ever happened.
My kids went back to school.
Something about this beautifully obligatory, ordinary routine brought me back from the brink.

We didn't have time for constant adventures. We had homework and early bedtimes and morning chores and breakfasts at the counter at 7:15...
And family suppers... Man, I love family suppers around our table. Probably even more than picnics.
That library that I didn't really want to go to for the past month sure was a fun treat on a Thursday evening... Just as fun on a Saturday, too.
That 1,000 piece puzzle? She finished it in three afternoons!
...And I just love watching her swim. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed it.
And that boy had begged and begged for a karate class. His sweet face when he saw that I finally signed him up was as thrilling for my heart as any outdoor hike.
Evenings on the couch with my husband have been just as restful as any of our weekend getaways.
Boggle, circa 1968? Still fun.

Finally, my yard sale stranger's words resonated with me as they should have all along.


I may have come to Alaska looking for adventure, but it turns out the sun can shine as brightly through the windows in my house as it can outside. I don't have to chase new things to light me up. I just need to remember to linger in the things that already do.
Because where there is sunshine, there is warmth--and warmth is never wasted.