The weather can really brighten you up

Calm seas and a sunny day. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Sometimes when you wake up in the morning and you're feeling sad it can be a struggle just to do something as simple as shaving. Staring at the mirror and feeling that the energy to shave just isn't there. I know from my female friends it's the same with shaving your legs ... when you're tired or depressed it's those little things that feel like a hike up Mt Everest.

The other morning I had that moment... staring at my reflection in the mirror. Shadows under my eyes, stubble, scruffy hair... I stared into that mirror for what felt like several minutes, barely blinking and wondering if I had the energy to even iron my shirt.

Sometimes life can be heavy and exhausting... the full weight of being a 'grown up' just feels like it's crushing you like a paper cup. I noticed, while feeling sorry for myself during that lacklustre morning, that I have more grey hair, more wrinkles and I am looking chubbier. I'm only 32...young to many of you...old to some of my friends... in fact someone said to me the other day "Did they have Soda Stream back in your day? Really?". I'm not sure what I took offence to most... a) the fact I may have been around longer than Soda Stream, or b) People can now refer to "back in your day" when talking to me.

As I sat there gazing into my exhausted eyes something caught my attention. A sliver of sunlight suddenly appeared on my polished wooden hallway (scratched to buggery because of my golden retriever, Harry). Like a moth to a flame I walked out to my hallway...then followed this bright light to my lounge, which faces east and has a good view of the rising sun.

As I approached my lounge windows I realised that the sky was utterly cloudless. I hadn't actually looked outside so far that morning. The sun was bright, the sky was deep blue and as if by magic I felt a surge of happiness. Outside flowers danced in the light breeze and little sparrows played and chased each other on the lawn. Harry was sitting on my front door step, bathed in sunlight and watching the sparrows too... curiously rather than wanting to eat them...which for him is impressive, as being a Golden Retriever he wants to eat everything from stones to wood to rusty nails and glass. Seriously, these dogs have issues.

I went out to the front door step and sat there next to Harry, sitting on the warm steps with my new bathrobe on (a present from my friends Ana and Kyle which has the words "Philip Soprano (Boss)" stitched across the back because of my love of The Sopranos and the fact I often wear a white bathrobe).

So there I was... utterly exhausted and over it all 5 minutes earlier...and now feeling good to be alive...the only thing that changed was I had looked out my window and saw what a stunning day it was. The weather has such a huge impact on my feelings - and I suspect on yours as well.

I remember last year when my close friend Douglas Ell died. I was privileged enough to receive a phone call from a family friend just minutes after he passed away... and I remember the odd feeling I had, the shock that he was gone... but I can clearly remember the weather that day was stunning...cloudless and warm and calm...and it burnt into my memory. While devastated at the news, the weather lifted my spirits and made me feel at peace.

It's hard to feel sad about things when the weather is beautiful.

I love the feeling I get when there's a thunderstorm or hail storm about. There is something about the atmosphere on a day like that which totally energises me. Adrenaline surges through my veins and I feel energetic to the point where I can't sleep if it's late at night.

I lived in Wellington for a while in the 90's and I loved the strong winds. I don't think I've ever felt healthier than I did then. It literally felt like the wind blew the cob webs and the germs away.

Then I remember darker times. Foggy, damp, mornings in the Waikato. Beautiful if the fog clears to a sunny day, but incredibly depressing if it lingers most of the day. When I lived in Taumarunui I remember it being overcast and still for days at a time. To me there is nothing more depressing than overcast, still, dry, weather. It is ghastly. I would go so far as saying I hate it. It brings me down when I feel good. It makes me tired and unhappy and sucks the beauty out of the earth.

The weather certainly impacts our lives but it also plays an important role in our emotions... especially those of you who are like me and tend to over think even the simplest of things.

And while I love the sun and the warmth, I also loved the sound of rain on my roof last night. A beautifully romantic sound when one is living in a drought.

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