Poop and Sunshine

One morning at camp, a bird pooped on my face.

Now, this was a literal event, but we all kind of feel as if we've been pooped on sometimes, don't we? Sometimes we're standing under a tree in the beautiful morning light, minding our own business, when someone drops something unexpected on us. It's not our fault, but we do have a choice about what to do with it. We can let it ruin our day, crying to everyone who will listen about the mess that we've been left to deal with, hiding our face in embarrassment, or we can walk to the bathroom, wash it off (making sure to use lots and LOTS of soap), and move on. Nobody wants to be pooped on, but sometimes it’s beyond our control. You can choose not to stand under trees just like you can carefully choose the crowd you hang out with, but birds don’t just poop while they’re sitting in trees. You could choose to never go outside again, or always have an umbrella above your head, but what kind of life is that?

Ultimately, you’re probably going to get pooped on at some point (maybe not literally, but figuratively). And when that happens, you’ll have a choice. I challenge you to go wash it off, and go on with your day. And even if more bad things happen, like you twist your ankle or the battery in your watch dies, it’s not the end of the world. Next time you go down those stairs, watch out for the step that got you last time, and go get a new battery for your watch. Even when more and more things seem to be piling up, it won’t stay that way forever. Take it one step at a time and keep on living your life. Don’t be afraid to go outside because of the bird poop; don’t hold an umbrella over your head all the time: you’ll never feel the warmth of the sun on your face.

I challenge you to throw open your front door and go outside. Don’t be afraid of what could happen, live for what is happening and let the sun shine on you.


Just make sure that you’ve got some sunscreen handy, and lots of soap, just in case.




-jodi