Mr. Sunshine Smiles

Happy Monday and new week, all!

I won’t be doing any dilly-dallying this week, so I’m going to get right into it.

Hope you have your morning beverage ready and your seat belt buckled because…

Here. We. Go.

I’m not going to lie…it is has been quite some time since I have cried at something that I’ve seen on the news. But on Wednesday, January 6th, that changed.

After seeing the news, pictures, and videos of the riots on our Capitol, I lost myself.

I cried.

I cried tears of emotion as I saw an image of an America that I never thought I would see. It was a climax of hatred and bigotry that I’ve witnessed on the rise for quite some time now as we moved throughout the past several days, weeks, months, years.

I was angry.

I was saddened.

I was angry and saddened as I looked at where our Country was standing–just a mere 6 days after a new year had just started.

For someone who sees himself as an enteral optimist, it was a moment in time where I just couldn’t see the light.

But then, the very light I couldn’t find and needed in my life came to me just when I needed it most.

Exactly one week ago, I launched my biggest endeavor and task to date entitled “Miles4Smiles.” For those who might not be familiar, this endeavor is going to involve running the equivalent of 50 full marathons (1,310 miles), raising $20,000 for The Conner M. Holland Foundation, and sending 2,000 cards to pediatric cancer patients to local hospitals across the Country. (You can find more information at http://www.miles-4-smiles.com).

These are quite the ambitious goals to accomplish this year, especially after the time frame we call 2020.

In the first week of what some might call an insanely, crazy project for Mr. Sunshine to undertake, I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of support from individuals all around me.

And I truly mean ALL around me.

I went from crying tears of sadness on Wednesday to ending the weekend crying tears of joy and happiness.

It was beautiful.

The amount of people that have already reached out about both making and donating cards to send to the pediatric cancer patients is incredible. I already received a first batch that were creatively created by my Cousin Pam that I will work on getting mailed out within the next couple of weeks. In addition, I received an email from an individual who had just started following my journey and asked if she could support me in the way of making packs of cards for me to send since she has been mastering her craft abilities during the times of the pandemic.

The amount of financial support I’ve experienced in this first week is also insane. On Saturday, at 4:30pm, I posted a video with a message about wanting to hit $250.00 by end of weekend on Sunday.

And in less than 24 hours, we had almost tripled that to a total of $775.00.

As I sit here writing this on my bed, we are officially at $800 raised!

In addition to both the financial and card support, I was approached by a brand-new, local Lancaster business to work on a collaboration that will support both the launch and selling of their product while also supporting the mission of Miles4Smiles.

Like, WHAT?! I can’t even deal.

To add to this, I was also approached by a very dear friend to collaborate on a Bingo event collaboration to get even more additional financial support, which made me smile from ear to ear.

And separate from all of this was a moment on Friday night when I received a message on Facebook from a friend of mine who wrote the following that I had to share because it moved me so much. They were words that came at a perfect time to keep me pushing forward toward the light.

“Well I am so proud of you. And I know that is so redundant but I fail more unique things to say without being cheesy. I feel like I could write you yourself an entire letter of love and appreciation. Can I express why? No. But I’ve always held this truly truly shiny sparkly special place in my heart for you. I think of you very often and truly cherish your soul. I feel blessed that I ever was able to call you an acquaintance let alone a friend. You inspire me. You always have, from day 1, and I’m not sure I know a single person who would say otherwise. I’ve had some dark times in my life that you weren’t even aware of, throughout really our entire existence of knowing each other–which has been, what? 25 years give or take a few? But you’ve always been just that: Mr. Sunshine.”

My Miles4Smiles campaign this year is more than just running, raising money, and sending cards. It is a journey for ALL of us to come together, inspire others, and to lift each other up.

It is about creating light where the darkness tries to overshadow and to ignite fires that are full of passion in the souls of everyone to make a difference in a world that needs our help.

The light that found its way to me in my life this week magically seemed to appear exactly when it was needed most. And I can only hope that the same light will find itself into your life this week, the next week, and the weeks after.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

THE WAIT IS OVER! After the year we’ve all experienced, it’s time for some positive energy, love, and kindness to fill our lives! And if there’s one thing I learned from the year we call 2020, it’s that I don’t feel fulfilled unless I’m doing something to help others. So, with that being said, today launches my newest, biggest, and toughest endeavor to try and change the world—one smile and mile at a time. Today, marks the start of my Miles4Smiles campaign—something that has been in the works since April. Throughout 2021, I will be conquering darkness with light and love in the hopes of running the equivalent of 50 marathons (1,310 miles), raising $20,000 for The Conner M. Holland Foundation, sending 2,000 cards to pediatric cancer patients across the United States, and hopefully inspiring others to change the world. Pediatric cancer has been a passion of mine since college and seeing the destruction and struggles it brings families is heartbreaking. I’m honored to partner with The Conner M. Holland Foundation this year to help support them in their endeavors of providing financial help for families battling the destruction and devastation of this awful disease. I’m ready to take the fighting, courageous, and energetic spirit of Conner with me for every single mile. It’s time to put in the miles to spread smiles. A HUGE thank you to Drew Kramer for creating my amazingly fun and fabulous logo, website, and bringing my dream to life. You are a gem. If you feel motivated and passionate to inspire and bring light to the world, please share, donate, and follow the journey by hitting up the official website for all the details at http://www.miles-4-smiles.com. I thank you in advance for your generous support, love, and encouragement. I hope you’ll join me on this one-of-a-kind journey.

It. Begins. Today.

http://www.miles-4-smiles.com

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Happy Monday, folks!

Isn’t it crazy to think that we are entering the final week of 2020? What a year it has been.

I sincerely hope that all of you were able to enjoy the holidays and adapt with all the craziness that is continuing to happen around us. I was able to enjoy some time with my mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law, and niece with a small gift exchange of Christmas tradition. And while it was definitely a different year, it did end up being very enjoyable, warm, and cozy.

And while we are officially only ONE WEEK away from my 2021 reveal, I wanted to take this week to share some of the wisdom and themes that I really took away from some of my favorite holiday movies this year to share with you in hopes of you being able to carry them out as we enter into this new year we are about to call 2021.

One of my favorite holiday movies is Elf and in this iconic role, Will Ferrell reminds us of the following:

-The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

Even if we aren’t in the Christmas season, there is something special about singing that does the body good. Have you ever noticed that whenever you sing, you suddenly feel better? And the louder you sing, the more fun it is for you and for those around you. So do it to spread some cheer.

Up next on my holiday move list is The Polar Express. This was a favorite book of mine growing up and it is a movie that I love to watch every single year. Even as an adult. And the theme that I take away from this movie is:

-Always BELIEVE in what your heart is saying.

There are always moments in life where it can be hard to believe in so much, but if you truly look inside your heart and listen to what it is saying, everything will fall into place…as it should. In its own time. And if you ever need a reminder of this, you can always turn on the song version Josh Groban sings because that will also just instantly make you feel better. Because…well…Josh Groban. He voice is incredible. Duh.

Holiday movie number three on my list is A Christmas Carol. But there is a very specific version that I’m talking about. In my mind, the BEST version (sorry not sorry for those who like the Muppet one). It is the George C. Scott version that was made in 1984. And if you haven’t watched it or seen it, I highly recommend it. This is one that I’ve watched year after year with my family and it has become a tradition that I always look forward to. And with this movie comes the very important theme that Ebenezer Scrooge takes to heart and shares with us at the end of the movie:

-To honor Christmas in our hearts and to keep it with us all year.

How true these words are even so many years later after the original written version by Charles Dickens was published in 1843. How soon we forget to keep the spirit and feeling of Christmas with us all months, days, weeks, hours, minutes, and seconds of the year.

Don’t be a bah humbug.

And last, but certainly not least on my movie list of holiday themes that really resonate with me is one that I only watched for the first time this year! I finally sat down to watch It’s A Wonderful Life with my mom and dad and how great of a movie it was. How I’ve gone 33 years on this Earth without seeing it before is beyond me. And as the movie ends, we are reminded of this very important mantra:

-That no man is a failure who has friends.

Well, there you have it. Four holiday movies that I absolutely love, adore, and resonate with in different ways. And these themes are ones that I hope to bring into 2021 and live out on the daily.

Take some time (even now that the holidays are over) to watch some of these if you haven’t (or even if you have already watched) and figure out ways in your life that you can live out the lessons they teach us.

And just in case you forgot already, you have only ONE MORE WEEK until my 2021 reveal!

Ahhh!

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Happy Monday, folks!

4 days.

Yes, you did read that right.

There are only 4 days until Christmas 2020.

I’m not sure about you, but this year has definitely been a struggle for me to try and find the energy to get into the Christmas spirit.

It just doesn’t feel like the holidays are upon us.

What’s made the month of December especially difficult for me is seeing all the memories come up on my Facebook of my past shows that I’ve been involved with at EPAC during the holiday seasons. It hits home and just makes me realize how much I miss the theater. How much I miss performing with my second family. How much I miss entertaining audience members and putting smiles on their faces. Memories of Willy Wonka, Cats, Anything Goes, Annie, Shrek, Oliver, The Wizard of Oz, and Beauty and the Beast have all been flooding the newsfeeds over the past three weeks.

Ugh. I’m ready to put the 2020 year in the past.

This year is definitely one where I’ve been asking myself the question…

“Where are you Christmas?”

Most people in my life know that the traditional Christmas Eve service is always MY FAVORITE one to plan each year at church. It is something that gets me so excited that I start to plan prior to Summer.

Seriously. No joke.

And this year, all of that changed as we were forced to adapt to the happenings of our world with pandemic restrictions that are continuing to grasp our society.

It is definitely going to be a different year for sure.

But through the feelings of difference that I’m still struggling with as I try to grasp with the reality that it just won’t be the same, I’ve forced myself to realize that the answer to “where are you Christmas” is right in front of me.

Christmas for me is the spirit of giving to others, spreading love to everyone, and sharing kindness with every passing moment on the daily.

In just 3 days, my faith community at St. Paul Penryn will share the spirit of Christmas with a virtual Christmas Eve service via Zoom at 3:30pm and a 6:30pm outdoor service (weather permitting). If inclement weather ensues, the 6:30pm service will also be done via Zoom. I hope if you are feeling lost this Christmas or just want some type of connection with a faith community to find Christmas, that you will join us as we celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus.

In just 2 more weeks, I will share with you my 2021 mission that I have been keeping a secret for a majority of this year. My hope continues to be that the news I share will bring love, kindness, and hope to the world.

I hope it will be a light to inspire those who might be feeling lost, fearful, or uncertain.

So, if you find yourself asking the question of “where are you Christmas” this week, just remember that it will live on if we just choose to open our hearts and fill the world with love and kindness.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

It is 10:08pm. My eye continues to heal. My mind is exhausted. My energy is lacking.

I’m currently sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, and watching The Golden Girls. As the jokes over slices of cheesecake and Blanche’s latest date bring laughter from the tube, I find myself daydreaming as I hear the wind howl outside the window.

2020 certainly has been a year to say the least. And has been a year where I’ve had the opportunity to lay lower than normal and keep myself from being involved with “extra curricular activities.”

My mind is flooded with a million thoughts. Thoughts of things that need to be accomplished within the month, within the week, within the day, within the hours that are continuing to go “tick tock” on the grandfather clock keeping me company as I lay here writing this very post.

What will 2021 look like? When will be out of the woods with this pandemic? How is everyone in this world going to continue surviving after many of their livelihoods have been uprooted?

The negative energy of the world and its current happenings (many that have been happening for many months) are ones that I find myself struggling with on the daily to try and combat.

It’s not easy.

In fact, it’s probably the hardest thing in the world for me, especially given that I have the nickname “Mr. Sunshine.”

How does one keep going on with life when the threat of negativity, fear, unknown, and hatred linger around every corner?

It’s the million dollar question and one that only YOU, yourself can answer.

What’s my secret? Is there a secret?

No, there’s no secret.

For me, it’s all about finding the fuel that ignites me from within.

My fuel is helping people. My fuel is making sure those I care about in life are supported with love. My fuel is finding new ways to spread kindness.

On January 4, 2021, you will all find out what my newest tactic will be for sharing this love and happiness with the world.

It’s been weird not doing anything this year that emulate my principles of love and kindness; however, after the BIG year 2019 was for me, it felt appropriate to take a little break.

And, as all of the back-end work continues to come together in these last few weeks before the official release, I can honestly say that 2021 will be an even bigger year for me.

A HUGE undertaking that makes me excited, nervous, and every other adjective in the book.

But I can’t wait to share it with you.

So, if you haven’t already, mark your calendars for January 4, 2021.

Find your fuel. Find what makes your heart sing with so much love and happiness that you need to share it with others.

The world is a dark place with stories of coldness. The light inside ourselves can fuel the fire for others and ignite the waves and ripples of change that can make the biggest difference for you…for me…for everyone.

Find your fuel.

It’s time for us to ignite the fires within ourselves and go out to share that light with the world.

Fuel the fires of change.

Let’s go.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well folks, we’ve made it to another Monday.

I sincerely hope that you and your loved ones were able to enjoy a safe and healthy Thanksgiving celebration no matter how different it might have looked.

It certainly didn’t feel like Thanksgiving to me–as this year has not even felt like a real year.

And to go along with that…2020 has certainly been a year to say the least.

It has been a year of firsts for me in several different aspects–some a bit comical and some a bit more serious.

Let’s start with the comical ones first, shall we?

-This year was the first year that I didn’t have Ocean Spray cranberry sauce sliced from the can at Thanksgiving dinner. And for those who don’t know, cranberry sauce is a VERY close second to my unhealthy addiction with mashed potatoes. Many thanks to Mama Welliver who was able to give me a “doggie container” of some slices that I will be enjoying throughout this week. Seriously, SO good.

-This year was the first year that I learned how to set an old-fashioned Victor mouse trap. There seems to be a little night critter visitor in the kitchen wrecking some havoc. so many thanks to my father for supplying me with the traps. And, many thanks to the homemade YouTube video that gave me the 1 minute lowdown on how to set it properly. There are currently now 4 of them perfectly placed (if I do say so myself) within the kitchen. And when that no, no Nanette nuisance is caught, I will be doing a happy dance…you can guarantee it. Or your money back. Also, I don’t know why, but the fact that I’ve heard a mouse makes me feel incredibly self-conscious that the house is a mess, which I swear it isn’t. Also, if you have any suggestions on how you may have caught mice (or a mouse) at your casa, let me know how you did it.

-This year is the first year that I put up an artificial Christmas tree at Sunshine Cottage. I’ve lived in this house for 4 years and have never found the energy to decorate. To go along with this, it is also one of the first years at the holidays that I’m not involved with a show at EPAC, which makes my heart so sad. I love the joy and thrill performing gives to me and doing it at the holiday season is always extra special no matter how busy and stressed I might get. I seriously CAN’T WAIT to get back to the art of performing and being involved at the theater. I miss my EPAC family like crazy.

And now we get to the serious “first” for 2020 that I experienced this week.

-This year was the first time that I ever stepped foot into an Emergency Room for medical treatment. Want to know the full story of how it happened?

Well, grab your trusty sidekick beverage and prepare yourself because I’ll give you the full lowdown.

It all started Sunday, November 22nd when my contacts started irritating me at church. I was tearing up, scratching, and itching. It almost felt like it was allergies for a moment. On the drive home, the light started to bother me and trying to keep my eyes fully open while driving into the sun was incredibly difficult.

I got home and immediately ran upstairs to the bathroom where I removed my contacts. Except the one in my right eye came out ripped and in two parts. Anyone else have that happen ever?

It is not pretty.

But the contacts were out. I put a cool, towel over my eyes to try and help with some of the itchiness and pain along with putting on my glasses to give my dealings with contacts a rest.

Fast forward to Monday morning where I woke up in a bit more pain and started to be irritated by looking at a computer screen. While working my part time job, I discovered that looking down was more helpful than looking up at light. So, I stood for a majority of my day on Monday, but I decided to call Teladoc to discuss my pain and symptoms with a doctor.

I discussed with them my symptoms and sent a picture of my eye and they mentioned that it sounded like a corneal abrasion, which basically is a fancy way of saying that the cornea had been scratched. This made sense, especially for the fact that it happened before many years ago when I removed a contact that was ripped. I was told that it would heal in a few days, so that was music to my ears. I went on with my day and cancelled all my extra curricular activities just to give my eye some rest. I also got some lubricating eye drops and edible cookie dough to soften the pain I was feeling.

I woke up Tuesday and opened my laptop to start work at my full-time job. And it was unbearable. The light (even with the laptop at a dark setting) and no lights on in my house was so painful and I had to cup my right eye in order to alleviate some of the pain. I was trying to type with one hand. I ended up taking the day off and basically slept all day.

I woke up after what felt like more sleep than I’ve ever experienced in my years on this Earth and I felt good. I went to bed Tuesday night feeling that the eye was starting to heal itself.

I was able to work Wednesday with minimal pain and made it through the day. By the time I clocked out at 5pm, I was feeling pretty good. Pain wasn’t terrible and I was ready to take on anything.

I started to feel some pain again on Wednesday night, but nothing serious, so I wasn’t too concerned. Light was beginning to become irritating again though.

Thursday morning I woke up and it seemed like everything had taken a 360 turn. The eye was very red, light was impossible in any format to not feel pain, and the pain was pretty great. I drove to Thanksgiving dinner at my parents with sunglasses on and an attempt at cupping my eye from extra light as much as possible. It was a struggle and looking back, probably something I shouldn’t have done.

I didn’t eat much at Thanksgiving dinner and excused myself early to go lay down and sleep with an ice pack over my eye to try and give me some extra comfort. Resting and sleep felt good, so I drove home that night to give my eye even more rest. And on the way home, I called Infinity Eye Care at Spooky Nook to see if they had a last minute appointment that could get me some answers and relief.

Friday morning, I made it about 2 hours at work and went into the eye doctor for an appointment to find out what was happening. A HUGE thanks to Marissa for driving me to my appointment. Megan Tirburtini and her staff at Infinity Eye Care were SO amazing, kind, and compassionate with what I was going through so if you ever need an eye doctor, go there! I can’t wait to go back and get an official eye exam because Lord knows I’m due for one!

Megan took a few, thorough looks at my eye and was nervous not 100% sure what was in there bothering me. She called around to a few other specialists (in regards to possible culturing with what was in my eye) and she ultimately told me to go the Hershey Medical Emergency Room for a final diagnosis.

So, on to the Emergency Room I went…my first time ever. And many thanks to Mama Welliver for driving me there. After arriving around 12:30pm, answering all the pre-COVID screening questions and defining my emergency as an unknown eye issue causing pain, I took a seat in the waiting room.

The nurse called me back around 30 minutes later to triage me and take my vitals. I had some fun with them since I was trying to lighten the mood and just made sure to share my appreciation for all that they were doing because it is apparent they are exhausted with all that is happening in the world.

And then…waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

And more waiting.

Waiting in a mask with incredible eye pain that was even more irritated due to the light and causing my eyes to tear and nose to run was quite the experience.

Also, I have to say that some of the things I saw in the ER were unbelieveable. I saw human attitudes so poor toward the medical staff and front desk staff that made my heart sink. The season of thankfulness and it seemed that no one was feeling that way.

And these poor medical staff are doing all that they possibly can for everyone…and are exhausted. I can’t even imagine.

Also, total side note–I can’t begin to thank everyone for all of their love, support, texts, and messages while I was waiting to be diagnosed. Waiting in an ER alone (since my mom was not able to come in with me) was a whole new level of anxiety, especially with it being my first time in one.

Around 6:30, I was called back to finally be seen by a doctor. I failed the eye visual test as I could read nothing because my vision was so blurry in the right eye. It was actually embarrassing.

The doctor looked at my eye and mentioned that it appeared I had an ulcer. I also had some fun with him too because it seemed like a stressful environment he was experiencing. I was trying to spread some of that Mr. Sunshine sparkle and joy.

After he looked at my eye several times and poking and prodding, he decided to call the Ophthalmologist on call to come take a look. I was giving all the medical staff a run for their money.

My eyes are apparnetly just THAT beautiful.

After about 20 minutes, Dr. Grant Carlisle entered the room to take a look at my eyes to make the final diagnosis with a treatment plan.

My eye was swabbed 8 different times to be cultured for bacteria and would you believe that I didn’t blink at all while that happened?!

That’s right. Impressive. Dr. Carlisle was impressed too.

He made the final diagnosis that there was a pretty hefty sized ulcer in my eye directly on my pupil–something that he had not seen before.

He gave me two eye drops for treatment that would have to be put in about 14 times a day and mentioned that there would be several follow up appointments to make sure the ulcer was shrinking.

He also mentioned the first couple days of treatment would be painful. And he wasn’t kidding.

Around 8pm, I was officially discharged with paperwork–about 8 hours after I first had stepped foot in the door.

A HUGE thank you to the entire staff at Hershey Medical for their time, attention, and patience for all that they do. I can’t imagine working long hours day in and day out while dealing with cases of medical traumas constantly with little or no break.

God bless them.

Also, HUGE thanks to my Mama Welliver for waiting in the car out in the parking lot during this whole ordeal and driving me home to their house where Marissa met us to drive me home to Lancaster.

I cried on the way home because I had never been in so much pain before. If I could describe it, I would say that it felt like a knife had been put through my eye. I was wishing that it could just fall out because it was so bad.

I got home to find a cute note with some hot chocolate from a special and handsome friend, Ethan that was a welcome sight after what had been a very draining day.

Needless to say, I’m finally on the mend, my pain is going down a little bit each day, and I’m extremely thankful for my health, the healthcare workers, and everyone who helped me throughout this first-time ordeal of being in the ER.

Also special shout outs to Pastor Angie for dropping off some Dunkin’ coffee and pastorly joy on Saturday, Marissa for spending some time with me on Saturday evening while we ate frozen pizza and watched The Amazing Race, Abby for driving me to my parents’ house on Sunday and buying me my first Peppermint Mocha of the season, and to my dad gor driving me to Hershey for my follow-up appointment with Dr. Carlisle. Also huge thanks to Tim Rohrer at McElroy’s Pharmacy for helping secure the final third eye drop of my treatment.

This was definitely a traumatic experience for me to say the least and I don’t wish the pain I felt on anyone in this world.

I’m not always someone that takes my health seriously, but this has been a game changer for me espeically because all the doctors that I saw were thrown for a loop by never seeing an ulcer direct on the pupil in someone’s eye.

I guess they also got a first this year with me as their patient.

So, the moral of the story is to be thankful and grateful for the things you have in your life and to NEVER, EVER take anything for granted.

…Oh and…I’ll no longer being doing contacts, so I’m going to be a four eyes.

2020 has been a year of firsts.

Share yours with me. I would love to hear them!

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Happy Monday, all!

In case you needed to know, it is 32 days until Christmas…

SAY WHAT?!

And if that wasn’t crazy enough…Thanksgiving is THIS WEEK!

Like, how is that even possible?!

I literally can’t handle it.

As we all grasp with the reality that our Thanksgiving holiday celebrations will look different this year, it is impossible for me to not take a few moments to step back and look at the many blessings that I am extremely thankful and grateful for in my life.

As dictionary.com defines it, the word thankful is described as “feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative.”

And in my life, I believe gratefulness is priceless.

And while I take the next couple of moments to share with you just a few of the things I’m thankful and grateful for in my life, I encourage you all to do the same.

Some of what I’m about to write in regards to things I’m thankful and grateful for are entities that I’ve shared previously in other blog posts; however, they are such important aspects of my life that I can’t emphasize enough with another share to you all.

I’m thankful and grateful for all of the essential and frontline workers that are fighting the pandemic and working exhausting hours day in and day out to fight what and navigate the waters of what this world is going through.

I’m thankful and grateful for my parents. I’m thankful for them having the courage to sit down and talk with me about my sexuality even though it was an uncomfortable territory at first. I’m thankful for your patience, understanding, and compassion that you have shown me every step of the way and continue to do each day…even throughout a pandemic. Without your guidance, I would not be the man I am today. I would be lost in this world of negativity, hate, and pain if it wasn’t for the constant love that you have used from your souls to raise me on the principles of love and kindness for everyone regardless of religion, social status, ethnicity, politics affiliation, or sexuality. I hope I continue to make you proud as I grow through the years ahead on the paths that await.

Secondly, I want to thank my brother. While you might not have been the most loving sibling to me during our time growing up, I truly wouldn’t want to have it any other way. Even though we may still have fighting battles of words and wit every now and then, you are someone that I look up to and truly admire. You are extremely hard working and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching you mature into a loving husband to Mindy. You may have the brain of smarts, but I have the brain of good fashion sense. Ha!

I’m thankful and grateful for my sister-in-law, Mindy. Mindy–you have brought even more grace, love, and support to our family and we could never thank you enough for that. I have been able to witness you as a hardworking mom who wants to give her family all the best no matter what the cost and that melts my heart. I know you’ve been through some very tough times that have rocked your emotions over the years and seeing how you have come out of those trials even stronger is such beautiful a thing.

I’m thankful and grateful for my niece, Mackenzie. She has brought a whole new level of smiles and innocence to my life that I adore like no other. I can’t wait to continue watching her grow up even though I wish time would slow down! I also can’t wait for all the selfies that await.

I’m thankful and grateful for all of my Singing Lions from my time at Penn State. I’ve said this before, but if I was not a part of your group…your family, I would have left. Thank you for offering an environment where everyone could be themselves without judgment. I truly value the friendships that I have created with you and those friendships are responsible for getting me through some of the toughest moments of my 4 year college life at University Park.

I’m thankful and grateful for my coworkers (at both the full time and part time locations) whom I get the pleasure of being around on the daily. Well, technically, we have not been around each other in person much this year, but the virtual time I’ve had with you has been quite special as well. Thank you for supporting me even through my moments of mistakes and failures. All of you bring so much to the table and have helped me grow emotionally and professionally. I only hope that we continue to push each other in our future growth paths together in making the lives of those we help day in and day out a bit better.

I’m thankful and grateful for all the incredible friends who have supported me throughout my life in different capacities. It doesn’t matter if our paths have crossed for a hot second (literally) in the past, have crossed paths in the present, or will cross paths in the future…each of those moments (or future moments yet to happen) is incredibly special in the evolution of Mr. Sunshine as a human being.

I’m thankful and grateful for Missy, Elyse, and Marissa who had the ability to put up with me for many years during our living arrangements…and what fun we had together! Even during these challenging times, we’ve still managed to find moments to laugh together and have fun. I’m incredibly glad and grateful our paths crossed in this lifetime and that we stay in contact. I also love that we can look back on all the memories we created and laugh hysterically until it hurts. I love that we can use other to vent, offer advice, guidance, or talk about boys. You are definitely three special ladies to me personally even if I don’t always acknowledge it.

I’m thankful and grateful for Abby. She is always so kind and generous to me even in moments when I’m drained and exhausted. I love that we have been able to grow closer over the past couple of years and I know our friendship will grow more and more with each passing year—and even during a pandemic we’ve been able to continue that friendship. Thank you for always offering me advice and kind words at the times when I need to hear them most. Truly a beautiful soul.

I’m thankful and grateful for Ephrata Performing Arts Center and all those I’ve met and had the pleasure of working with over the years. It is so special to me that I have access to a theater so close to home where the feeling of those around you is family. It is a safe place where I can be myself and find joy in the smiles I see on the faces of audience members when under the lights to perform. So many wonderful memories and moments have been created in that space and I know there are more to come. I can’t wait.

I’m thankful and grateful for Hank Angus and those from the Hope Express family that believed in me and helped me to uncover the definition of “being worthy” and keeping my passion with finding a cure for pediatric cancer alive. The kindness and generosity of everyone involved with this organization is immeasurable and I only pray that I can continue to strive and make a difference each day with sharing love and hope with everyone around me and igniting a fire within them to make positive change.

I’m thankful and grateful for the late Pat Kautter who was a true pioneer in the theater world. I was thankful to work with her on a few different shows in multiple capacities at the Ephrata Performing Arts Center. She was always the “theater mom” who encouraged me not to give up, be true to my identity, and give each moment 110%…even if it meant smiling as I tried to fake tap dance!

I’m thankful and grateful for my Grandma Neidermyer who left us back in 2006. More than a decade later, it still feels like yesterday when I was huddled around the bed witnessing your last breaths on this earth with all of the family crying tears of pain. I wasn’t ready for you to leave. Your gentle smile is one that is imprinted in my mind and your presence is one I feel from above, especially in moments when I’m struggling. Each day, I wake up and look at the very last picture we got together at the 2005 high school holiday concert that sits on my dresser. It was such a surprise to see you after the show and the smiles on both of our faces in this image are true joy. A moment I will never forget as long as I live.

I’m thankful and grateful for my personal trainer, Zach Musser. He has helped me stay motivated to better my body and mind physically and mentally. I’ve been seeing him for almost 2 years and I can’t begin to thank him enough for the lifestyle changes that he has helped me create for myself. Even if I give him attitude and sass during our early morning workouts, he never fails to push me harder with his undying encouragement and motivation, especially on those days when I just want to quit.

I’m thankful and grateful for my online health/life coach, Daniel Buckley. I’ve been working with him for about two years now and he has helped me to stay on track with logging my food and making sure that I stick to commitments that ultimately improve the health and longevity of my life. I’m thankful for his weekly check-ins that make me smile and the advice that he has offered me even on non-health related topics. If I ever get to Nashville, we ARE meeting up for a run!

I’m thankful and grateful for my roommate, James Oblak. I’m a firm believer in the fact that everything happens for a reason and James is living proof of that. While this pandemic has uprooted his career in NYC, he found his way to Lancaster and the rest is history. I will be the first to admit that even Mr. Sunshine has struggled amid all the “stuff” happening in our world and the negative entities that are thrown to us on the daily. These times have certainly been challenging and having another individual around me in my living quarters has been a blessing in a disguise. Sometimes, I can forget how important human connection truly is and having the ability to talk (or even not talk) with someone at the end of the day has been so rewarding and helpful for my mental health. I look forward to many more evenings of watching Schitt’s Creek, American Horror Story, The Golden Girls, or whatever else suits our fancy. I also can’t for the next episode of Coffee Talk With James Oblak. You are the best and I hope your stay (and continued stay) at Sunshine Cottage has been worth every minute!

I thankful and grateful for all the jocks and straight boys who got a kick out of making fun of me during the years of my childhood. Because of you, I learned to grow thick skin and realize that I shouldn’t give TWO HOOTS about what others think about me or my sexuality. And even though there are moments (mind you in today’s society…the 21ST CENTURY), that I still get stared at or name called, I often find it a bit more tolerable for me to move on and ignore it because of the harsh words that you threw at me growing up. I want to thank all the guys in my life that have decided that it is better to not tell me the truth up front. Damn it. Just be honest. Don’t tell me that “you are not gay” to only have me find out that you actually are and have a boyfriend. Also, don’t just stop responding if I reach out to you. Like, damn it. Just say “I’m not interested” and be HONEST. Ugh. These are the moments that happen in my life where I find it so hard to trust guys, which continues (and probably always will be) a struggle for me. And while dating is not a priority for me at the present time, these moments are what make it so hard for me to get over the tarnished view of gay men that has been painted in my mind.

I’m thankful and grateful for Pastor Angie and my church family. Pastor Angie has heard it all already from me in the short time I’ve known her and she always has special guidance and wisdom to offer…and a cup of coffee too! She has been thrown quite the task of leading our faith community during such a challenging time and she done more than any of us would have ever expected. While we haven’t been able to gather in person as often as we would’ve liked during this time, she has supported us and gotten us to gather virtually through word, sacrament, and fellowship. I miss my choir so much. I miss being able to sing with my church family. I hope and pray for the day when we can all do that once again.

I’m thankful and grateful for my Tampa coworker, colleague, and friend, Harrison. Time and time again, he has made me laugh with his exceptional wit and sense of humor through video chat while also being able to talk me through my reactive emotions when I’m dealing with tough customers. He has a way with words and has helped me balance of some aspects of the DiSC scale that I’m pretty lackluster with. He deserves an award. If you ever get up here to Lancaster for an in-person visit, I will buy you a cup of Passenger coffee.

I’m thankful and grateful for all my blog post supporters who continue to come back week after week. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing content for you all over these past 2 years and I couldn’t be more humbled by your support, love, and kindness.

I want to thank my bestie, DMH. I know that I’ve said it many times before, but I’m so thankful that you were brought into my life a mere 6 years ago through what is one of the worst phone apps to this day. Our friendship has only gotten stronger since that time. You are one individual that I trust completely, which is hard for me to do these days because of the past I have experienced. Thank you for being a constant in my life amongst a world of change. Thank you for adding extra letters in your texts, never getting mad if I’m having reactive moments of emotion over aspects of my life, allowing me to word vomit in car travels to scary movies, not judging me for wanting to sing Josh Groban’s “Evermore” at the top of my lungs, knowing that sometimes all I need is a night of rummy playing to recharge, and for always being able to bring a smile to my face no matter what the situation. These are priceless things that I cherish greatly (more than you can ever imagine). For these many moments, I will never be able to repay you. I can only hope (well I don’t hope because I know for a fact) that our friendship will only continue to grow stronger as we grow older. . I’m very, very, VERY lucky to know you and have you by my side as a bestie. In today’s society, I think it is extremely important and necessary, especially in the gay community, to have a best friend that involves a platonic relationship. I think it is vital for both personal well being and emotional growth. We share something special and I hope that everyone in the world is jealous of it…because you know what…they should be–what we share as besties is not something many people have in this world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the memories thus far and for the memories that I know are yet to come. While I know this year has been quite different in terms of how often I’ve had to opportunity to see you and hang out, I hope you realize how much of a special individual you are to me and how vital of a role you play in Mr. Sunshine’s daily grind.

I’m thankful and grateful for everyone in life that has been able to look past the walls of judgment our society has built up to realize that I, along with my fellow LGBT brothers and sisters, are human beings full of love to give. We are no different than you. Just because we love someone of the same sex doesn’t mean that we should be called inappropriate names, stared at constantly, or judged because we want to be happy. Quite frankly, I’ve been called the word ‘faggot’ enough in my life. I want anyone in the world who is struggling with their sexuality to know that it will be OK. I know that it can be scary territory to navigate, but I assure you that you are NEVER ALONE. There will always be people around to wrap warmth and support around you in the moments of extreme darkness when you want to give up.

This coming week as we all continue to look toward the celebration of Thanksgiving, let us take a few moments to reflect on the many blessings that we are both thankful and grateful for in our lives.

Gratefulness is priceless.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, another happy Monday to each and every one of you.

Did you know that it is only 39 days until Christmas??

Yikes.

That makes me just about pee my pants.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to take a little respite from the daily life of Mr. Sunshine to travel to Wellsboro for some sightseeing at the PA Grand Canyon with my good friend, Abby.

Despite the numerous gravel paths that had to be traveled upon, I must say that the views offered to us were spectacular and jaw drop worthy.

The beauty was glorious. The feelings of peace and relaxation were priceless.

And the hosts we got to meet for our “home cabin stay” were perfect, friendly, outgoing, and every adjective in between.

So, if you’ve never had the opportunity to experience the views of the PA Grand Canyon, I highly recommend it.

Actually…scratch that…

…I HIGHLY recommend it.

Anyway, I digress.

It’s time to grab your favorite Starbucks holiday drink (mine is the Peppermint Mocha) and to cuddle up with your blanket in a cozy position as we get down to business with the latest and greatest from Mr. Sunshine!

Are you all situated?

Well, great! Because we are OFF!

As the days continue to carry on, I continue to struggle with so much about the world around us. I continue to be nervous and scared about the rising cases of COVID-19, I continue to feel for all the people the disease has affected–those whose have passed, those currently fighting it, and all the healthcare workers, essential workers, and frontline entities who are continuing to press forward and exhaust themselves as they try to keep everything under control.

I continue to struggle with my focus, especially about the holidays.

And if the struggle of focus wasn’t enough, I get anxiety when I turn around and look and see yet another person decorating for the Christmas holiday even earlier than the year before.

Disclaimer: I did start listening to Christmas music already AND also did some very minor decorating at Sunshine Cottage.

I caved. The stress of seeing others do it got the best of me. Mmmbyeee.

I will say that I’m still looking at getting both an artificial tree and some wreaths to complete the Christmas holiday at Sunshine Cottage for which I have never officially decorated in the 4 years I’ve lived on the street of fruit.

So, if you have any suggestions or recommendations in regards to artificial trees, wreaths, or any other fun & festive holiday decor, send it my way!

Getting in the holiday spirit has definitely been (and will continue to be) a challenge for me; however, here are three things that helped me to find that extra spark of seasonal joy this past week when I needed it most.

#1: Carrie Underwood and John Legend’s “Hallelujah” song from her new Christmas album. The melody is so incredibly beautiful and the lyrics really hit home. As I’ve sat here writing this post for you, I’ve listened to it about 20 times and the ability that it has to extract feelings of such raw, real emotion from my heart is just incredible. Do yourself a favor and take just 4 minutes to listen.

#2: Watching Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey on Netflix. I kept being blasted with ads about in on social media and each time I logged on to my Netflix account, it kept being shown as a “Top Pick For JP” so I thought it would be worth giving it a whirl. And it was worth every minute. I loved the storyline, the songs, the dancing, the casting, and the costumes. It was fabulous and just like the PA Grand Canyon, I HIGHLY recommend it. And here’s a trailer to get your curiosity peaked even more.

#3: Reading The Polar Express. I’m also a huge fan of the movie (it is one of my favorites to watch during the holiday season), but the book is equally as special and reminds us all that we must BELIEVE in the magic.

Well, there you have it folks. I hope that some of these entities that I’ve shared with you in this post will help you find some of the seasonal spark and joy that we could all use some more of right now in our lives.

Let the magic warm the moonlit air.

Find the JOY.

BELIEVE in the magic.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, folks here we are.

Yet another Monday of 2020 has decided to poke its head out at us again.

Can you believe that we will be celebrating Thanksgiving in just about two weeks and that Christmas will be shortly behind that?

Anyone else having trouble focusing on Christmas gift shopping or anything that is Christmas related? Because I’m struggling SO much.

Anyhoo.

What a week it has been. It was one full of many emotions and I felt like I was riding a roller coaster going up, down, around, and all the directions you could possibly imagine. I had trouble sleeping, I was anxious all hours of the day, I had trouble focusing on my work, and I was glued to both the TV and phone checking constant updates about the election and the ballot counting in all the battleground states.

I’m sure I’m not the only one that was on this roller coaster ride.

And today, as Monday pokes it head out at us, we are greeted with breaking news that has changed history.

But politics is not the point of this week’s post and is not something that I normally like to engage about during conversation.

This week’s post isn’t about whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or whether your candidate won or lost.

If you are celebrating, I see you and I love you.

If you are grieving, I see you and I love you.

If you are angry, I see you and I love you.

I will be the first to admit that the world is broken. It is a scary place. It is polarized so much that it seems virtually impossible for anyone to meet in the middle about any topic no matter how complicated or simple it might be.

So, regardless of how you are feeling because of the results from this election, please don’t forget that love and kindness are always in season.

And please don’t forget that they are the fundamental elements that will help us to get through the tough times as we start to heal our broken world…

…And we will do that TOGETHER regardless of our skin color, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, social class status, or whatever other entity in between.

Whether you disagree or agree with someone, please do not forget love and kindness.

There are just two more months left until I embark on one of my biggest fundraising projects to date in my 33 years of life on this Earth. And while I have a renewed energy from the happenings of this past week, I know that some of my friends who might not be feeling that same way.

But I will continue to spread love and kindness to ALL each day that I live.

And I will continue to see you and love you no matter what.

My purpose on this Earth is to embody the entities of love and kindness regardless of who is in The White House.

So, please don’t forget love and kindness are always in season.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, hey there folks! A happiest of Mondays to you!

Is anyone else floored by the fact that it is officially November?!

That means that Christmas is like…

Tomorrow.

Yikes!

That means I need to start my shopping now.

LAnyway, on to the actual nitty gritty for this week’s post.

Shall we?

I’m not going to lie, but the last couple of weeks have been really hard for me. I’ve struggled to focus on projects that need my attention (mostly the Christmas Eve service at church), but couple this feeling with the entities of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty and you have the classic feels that I would bet some of you have felt at some point or another during 2020.

In times like these, it is really hard for me to find hope.

That’s right.

Mr. Sunshine even has moments of not always being able to see the hope.

But in the past week, there have been three distinct moments and entities that I used to find that hope that was so desperately missing.

HOPEful Moment #1:
-Watching the movie Clouds on Disney+. It was a movie I had not heard about previously and when it came on the list of movies I would probably enjoy, I figured there was nothing to lose. I don’t want to give away any of the important plot details; however, I will tell you two things…the plot really resonates with fundraising efforts that I’ve participated in during the past AND I cried…more than once. And we all know that there is nothing like having a good cry during a movie. It makes us human and sometimes there is nothing better than shedding a few tears at the tube.

HOPEful Moment #2:
-Alicia Key’s new song, called “Good Job.” I heard this song for the first time during my weekly dance fitness class I participate in called Oula (thank you, Jen) and I immediately fell in love with it. Oh, and by the way, you owe yourself a favor to check out Oula. The class is SO fun and I highly reccomend it. By definition, Oula “combines the depth and soulfulness of a mind-body practice with the carefree playfulness of a living room dance party. By integrating the mind, body and heart, our focus is on full being health and wellness in a fun and community-centered atmosphere.” And the music choices are empowering, freeing, and fun. This song brings out so many real emotions within my soul, especially with all that the world is going through. This song helps me center back to the fact that there is good happening in the world if we would just allow ourselves to see it. Take some time to listen and share with someone who you know needs the lyrics to feel inspired.

HOPEful Moment #3:
-The last moment I experienced this week came from a place where I usually don’t find hope, but it proved me wrong. All the articles and details about the results with people getting out and voting early made me smile. And I can only pray that same feeling of hope carries through Tuesday when our Country makes a very big decision in regards to the leadership that we will have at The White House for the next 4 years.

As I sit here writing this for you, I would be lying if I said that I don’t still have some feelings of fear and uncertainty. Every. Single. Day.

But just as these three moments in my life from the past week provided me hope to sustain and get me through the week, I hope and pray that they will also bring you that same energy of hope I got to experience.

And I hope that those feelings of hope will continue on each day you live and that the next time you encounter someone in life struggling, that you will be that source of hope that is much needed by all individuals right now in this world.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!