Sunburn or sunlight? Finding something to be grateful for

If you are feeling lonely or overwhelmed, you might try what Kennedy did.

By Brian McMillan
| 11:56 a.m. April 13, 2021

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

I took my 6-year-old daughter, Kennedy, for a walk the other day, and the sun was hotter than she expected. She burns easily, so I sprayed her with sunscreen multiple times, but she still got stressed out as her arms started to turn pink. She felt powerless.

“This horrible sun!” she shouted.

I was about to commiserate with her and add my own complaints about the hot Florida sun, but then, as she often does, she magically changed her attitude — which also changed mine.

“But,” she said, “I guess the sun is also good because it gives us a day, so that we can go out and exercise.”

In other words, daylight is so wonderful that it’s worth the risk of sunburn.

Gratitude is power. Gratitude is peace.

If you are feeling lonely or overwhelmed, you might try what Kennedy did: Find something to be grateful for; it might be the same thing you are worried about, just seen a different way.

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author

Brian McMillan

Brian McMillan and his wife, Hailey, bought the Observer in 2023. Before taking on his role as publisher, Brian was the editor from 2010 to 2022, winning numerous awards for his column writing, photography and journalism, from the Florida Press Association.