The sunshine is a liar.
The buttery yellow glow, plus the knowledge that it’s now officially spring, by a couple of weeks, tells me to step outside after lunch for a walk. No coat needed, no gloves, no hat. I’m halfway down the block before I find myself regretting that.
Still, the weather IS beautiful, and I know in just a few more blocks, under that merciless sun, I’ll be glad I left the woolens back home.
I feel a pang in my gut. I should’ve brought the dog.
But no. I refuse to let myself ruin this. Even the most dedicated, selfless pet mom deserves a little time to herself here and there.
Besides, Rosco would have wanted to stop and pee or sniff a tree every ten steps—or more—and I’d never get moving fast enough to ward off the chill in the air. This is better. A little “me” time.
I turn my face up toward the sun and (just for a second) close my eyes (no sense tripping over my town’s crazily uneven sidewalks).
Crap. I’ve forgotten my sunscreen.
I sigh. THAT, right there, is the reason our childhoods (well, mine at least) felt so free: You could take a walk in the sunshine without worrying about SPF and dog pee. You could just do what felt good in the now, in the moment, and enjoy it.
I miss being young. But for today, I FEEL young and it’s (almost) spring and I have time for a walk and (for now) maybe that’s good enough.
