Such a beautiful day
Just another glorious fall day at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, October 2003
“I cried at first…..and then, it was such a beautiful day, that I forgot to be unhappy.” — Frances Noyes Hart
Have you ever walked outside in a gloomy mood, and been overtaken by the sheer beauty of the day? It’s happened to me many times, and the feeling of relief and joy that floods over me is no less than when a physical pain is eased. Most often it happens on one of those gloriously sunny days when the temperature is comfortable and there is the faintest breeze to keep me cool as I walk. But sometimes it’s a winter day when the sun is reflected blindingly bright from the snow, or even a rainy day when the drizzle makes a soothing sound that complements the thirsty earth’s refreshment.
Perhaps no season is as full of such days as autumn. During our years in California, on both the central coast and the northern bay area, October was the warmest time of year, sunny every single day. Here on the east coast, autumn is even more glorious, with vivid fall foliage that takes my breath away no matter how often I see it.
If you are beset with sorrow or gloom right now, I hope you will soon enjoy some of those glorious fall days that help you forget to be unhappy. I’m looking forward to them; the kind of days when simply walking outdoors is like getting a big divine hug that says “Everything is going to be alright in the end.”
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: Autumn, beauty, cheer, Conservatory of Flowers, flowers, happiness, joy, San Francisco, seasons, solace, weather
Defeat Despair 
I’ve lived in northern and Southern California as well as the East Coast. Now I’m on the other side of the globe in Guam, where the weather is tropical all year around. Autumn in New England is particularly beautiful, but I can’t say I miss the winter. Good advice about getting outside when you’re feeling down. Sunshine and fresh air are good for the soul.
Hi Lisa, while we lived in Hawaii some of our friends were from Guam and I know they missed it. I don’t think I could live with the New England climate for very long– Virginia is about as cold as I can tolerate. But getting outdoors is wonderful regardless of weather or location. For all the many physical benefits, I think that (for me at least) the mental health boost is the most important. Thanks for being here! Nice to have visitors from Guam!