The weather was absolutely gorgeous this weekend. I love what sunshine does for my mental health. I felt on top of the world spending time outside and when I was inside at the end of the day, I was productive and completed a lot of tasks. I feel so lifted up after spending the majority of the weekend outside.
On Saturday I spent the afternoon in Gimli, Manitoba. My daughter and I swam at the beach and explored a few of the shops around the area. I later realized that an E.coli advisory had been put out for the beach in the area. So far we are OK and are not displaying any symptoms. The beach was packed with people so I imagine if the warning was really bad, the beach would have been closed. That thought at least comforts me.
The beach is a place that I absolutely love going with my daughter. At the beach I am completely immersed in her world, just the two of us and nothing distracts me. A lot of the attention I give has to do with water safety and in a body of water such as Lake Winnipeg, the tide can change in an instant. I love playing with her and seeing the world through her eyes; the amazement and wonder she has is so special. I feel blessed to be able to share in those moments.
On Sunday we spent a couple of hours at the neighborhood wading pool. My daughter is mature for a wading pool environment so I took the opportunity to lay on a blanket under a tree and just zone out while she buzzed around with friends. It was nice to just lay by myself and be lost in my own thoughts. To-do lists ran through my mind but for two and a half hours, I let them come and go. Daydreams and content thoughts floated through my mind.
I hope for more beautiful days like this past weekend. Even on days that I don’t have the energy like I had this weekend, I really depend on the sunshine to rise me up. Being outside is a powerful tool for me, regardless of what I am doing outside. I just need to be outside. I will conquer mental illness with the outdoors!
Wild Woman Wisdom 