Wholly Healthy: A Healthful Dose of Sunshine

As of this writing, my family is about to embark on our annual beach vacation. Because we’re a homeschool family (well, now college and homeschool), we typically take our trip in mid to late May. This is right after finals, when the kids and the mom have reached maximum stress levels for the year. We discovered years ago that this little trip helped everyone to relax and ease into summer. It’s a chance to sleep in, play in the ocean, eat too much, play games, and, in general, “lower our blood pressures.” It was only recently that I learned that our blood pressures were actually getting lower. Hold that thought.

If there’s one thing South Carolina has a lot of (I mean, other than bugs and Baptist churches), it’s sunshine. Although we have rain and clouds, and even cold and snow, almost every weather system seems closely followed by plenty of sunlight. So much so that when I travel back north to home, I really miss it. While I don’t always enjoy the intense heat, I miss the way the bright, sunny days make me feel. I’ve tried to explain this to family members who live several latitudes up from us, but to no avail.

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