I'm not sure if you noticed or not, but the weather outside today was absolutely amazing. The sun was out, it was warm and there wasn't any wind. For Oklahoma in the middle of January, that's pretty stinkin' good. I'd forgotten just how much of a blessing warm days in the middle of winter are, not just because it makes for a beautiful day, but because it provides a lot of relief for a lot of people who need a break for the cold.
Anyway, during today's beautiful sunshine, I met a man; let's call him 'Dave.' Dave was sitting on the sidewalk, up against a restaurant here in Tulsa called McNellie's soaking up the sun. He was wearing some black shoes to go with his black sweat pants and Chicago Bulls jacket, and he had a hat on to keep the brightness out of his face. I had just finished up eating at McNellie's when I caught sight of him as I swung out the door and headed down the sidewalk with a group of co-workers. We had just finished up at an employee's farewell lunch.
Dave was sitting by himself, not talking to anyone or doing anything, just sitting there smiling. He looked happy, so I stopped by him to say hello. He returned the greeting with a smile and asked if I had a couple of bucks to spare so he could go buy some french fries. Being a lover of french fries myself, I had to oblige. We talked about fries, what he was up to for the afternoon and sunshine for just a minute or so, but I don't think I've ever met anyone so content with simply sunshine and french fries.
Dave talked about how happy he was that he was getting a break from the cold weather and how he was ready for spring, and I couldn't help but realize just how big of a deal it was that he was getting a dose a spring time early. It was a small thing, but at the same time, a really big thing. It was a reminder that all cold seasons come to an end and have their moments of relief, just like all 'cold' seasons in life have their end and their moments of relief, and we should enjoy those moments and be thankful for them, basking in their sunlight.
It's easy to go through life enjoying the sunshine and not being thankful for it, just as it's easy to go through life not enjoying the cold and complaining about it; however, take some advice from Dave: "Take shelter when it gets cold and be extraordinary grateful when it's sunny. Life's gunna have its cold, and it's going to have its hot, so enjoy what ya got."
Dave was a cool guy; I hope to run into him again soon. Maybe we'll get fries.
-Cliff
Dave's Note: "Take shelter when it gets cold and be extraordinary grateful when it's sunny. Life's gunna have its cold, and it's going to have its hot, so enjoy what ya got."