Fog or Sunshine?

Summer is a 'mystical"  time on the Central Coast.  You have heard of "June gloom"?  We are in July and we are continuing to experience the early morning fog usually burning away to radiant sunshine in the afternoon. Today as I drove to work at 7:15 am north on Hwy 101 from Arroyo Grande, through Pismo Beach and Shell Beach, I drove over the top of the peak that is on the crest of Avila Beach and upon descending to the other side towards San Luis Obispo was greeted with...more fog!

That's not how it usually is the trajectory of where the highway peaks almost always reveals sunshine on the other side.  At 1:30 pm in between counseling clients, I drove to Avila Beach from my office and spent one glorious hour in beautiful sunshine walking on the beach

And then it was back to my office where I sit at my desk reflecting on the day.

Here's what I've been musing about...

It's hard to predict "June gloom" in your life, but foggy days are inevitable.

Generally--though not always--the other side of the mountain looks better.  If you can survive the trek to the top, it will generally be worth the effort.

There is a strange beauty in fog, accelerated by the idea it will soon pass.  Don't grieve the fog; rather, embrace  what lies behind it waiting to be revealed.

The glare of sunshine upon the hillside sometimes produces verdant green--when water is plentiful--and other times, golden brown, like today.  What is exposed by the sun with its shadows and hues produces a colorful tapestry of its own.  Life with its trials and triumphs produces a testimony punctuated by the messages of color and texture.

The fog and sunshine are closely yoked to each other, separated often by only minutes.  Their coming and going is impacted by natural forces that I am still learning. But they are both statements of life around me. They both, with respect for one another, echo hope for the calming coolness of the fog and the beckoning brightness of the sun.

It can all happen in a day, here on the Central Coast.

It could be your day--wherever you are--fog or sunshine.