𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨 𝐏𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐈𝐧

This morning, the weather in our area is misty and cloudy. Sunshine isn’t reaching the ground. After two inches of rain the other day and no sun since, it’s wet, the air is heavy, and it’s affecting my mood.

The dreariness today, coupled with a discussion with a friend about diseases in the swine industry, has me thinking about what a great disinfectant sunshine is—for both health and attitude. Both of my grandmothers used to say that hanging clothes on the line and opening the windows to let the sunshine in was the best way to clean out a house. Sunshine cleans a lot.

Recently, I discovered the depth of fiscal shenanigans within a tax-funded entity in our area. My writing pulled back the curtains and let the sunshine in on the nefarious activities that have hurt local taxpayers. The cleansing effect of shedding light on the books is starting to open eyes.

Pulling back the curtains to let the sun in pushes away the smoke and mirrors that build up when the windows are shut and the room stays dark. Direct sunlight exposes what’s really happening, not just what someone wants us to see through clever words or fancy spreadsheets.

I’m sitting here waiting for the sun to burn off the haze, to dry the ground so we can finish planting and start cutting hay. Until the sun does its job—drying, warming, and rejuvenating—I’ll likely stay in this melancholy mood, reminded of how much we rely on sunshine, both in the soil and in our souls.

How many times have you been affected by things happening in the dark, behind closed doors, without the cleansing effects of sunlight? How do we push ourselves, and those we work with, to be out in the open when difficult decisions are made?