Mr. Sunshine Smiles

Well, hello folks! Yet another Monday has decided to show its face as the dog days of August continue to bring us extreme humidity, heat, and reason to drink gallons of water.

Hopefully all of you have been staying hydrated while also getting that natural glow from the Vitamin D cascading down from the rays in the sky.

Let’s get right to it, shall we?

Friday afternoon started off like most Friday afternoons. I was busy with my full time job commitments right up until quitting time at 5pm.

And then I got in my car to make my way home to prepare for my evening activities.

I clciked on my seat belt, put on some Kelly Clarkson to jam out to, and blasted the AC at a level that would chill anyone to the bone in a matter of seconds.

My trek home is usually only about 15 minutes; however, with traffic and all the humans on the road, it can definitely prove to be an interesting and much longer excursion.

I was on Fruitville Pike stopped at the light right by the Belmont shopping center. I was jamming out to Kelly’s “Broken and Beatiful” not having a care in the world for anyone who might have been staring through the windows.

The light turned green and I proceeded to move as all the cars in front of me did…and there were a lot of cars…in both lanes…not moving super quick.

And all of sudden in the rear view mirror I see a guy in a pick-up truck tailgating me. I remained calm and didn’t really change my speed because there was no way to go any faster with all the cars in front of me…or shift over to the right lane.

I continued singing Kelly and could tell when I looked in the rear view again that the guy driving was very inpatient. He was mumbling what were probably choice words and moving his hands as if signaling me to drive faster, which was not possible.

Well, this pick-up truck was apparently on a mission because he switched lanes to try and get around me only to get behind other cars that were traveling at the appropriate level of speed for the area…so he got no further with his course of action.

Well, he continued his inpatient trek and decided to zig zag back and forth between lanes another 3 times where I witnessed him come close to crashing into other cars each time the shift of lanes occurred.

It was ridiculous and really got me to thinking about life.

What did the crazy pick-up driver help remind me of?

Two things.

1. To slow down. In our society, it seems like we are always on the go. While I’m quite guilty of being the person to fill my schedule with as much as possible, I’ve learned (and been reminded) to slow down, smell the roses, and give myself some time to just be me. Not the Mr. Sunshine me, but the JP me. The JP me that likes to lay on the couch to watch a classic TV show, the JP me the wants to eat ice cream straight from the carton without judgment from others, the JP me that likes to cuddle up in a blanket when the world is cold, the JP me that–when stripped down–has real emotions inside that aren’t always necessarily happiness and joy.

So…slow down. Take a moment. Take a breath. Be one with yourself.

And number two…

2. That no matter how much you want to help others, there are just some people who don’t want to follow the rules, don’t want your help, and think that there is nothing wrong with how they are doing life…and that is where you need to just let it go. This is one thing that is extremely hard for me to come to terms with, especially with the Mr. Sunshine personality because it’s in my blood to help others and want to do it on the daily. But there are times and situations where it takes a toll and a time and place to finally realize that it just needs let go. In my head, I think about the end of Titanic when “Old Rose” walks out on the boat, climbs her feet on the side rails, takes a deep breath, and throws the blue heart diamond into the deep depths of the ocean.

She learned to let go. And it’s time for me and you to do the same when the situation calls for it.

So, thank you crazy pick-up truck driver for helping to remind me to zone in with myself and remind me that I need to slow down in life and let go when the time is necessary.

The age of 31 will only be with me for one more week…

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, another happy Monday to you all!

Hard to believe that we are starting yet another new week in the month of August! Our precious dogs days of Summer are coming to an end. That means that the season of Fall and everything pumpkin spice is just around the corner.

I’m not going to lie, but as much as I love running in heat and indulging in the sunshine, I am quite ready for fall leaves (minus the raking), and brisk, cool mornings of walking with a sweatshirt.

Anyhoo…enough about seasons! On to this week’s post!

Ever since the release of The Lion King, the word nostalgia has continued to run through my mind. I don’t know about you, but The Lion King was one of those Disney movies that left such an imprint during my childhood days growing up. And although I haven’t seen the new release of it in theaters quite yet (will be tomorrow), I can only imagine that when I do, the wave of emotions will overcome me as tears begin to fill my eyes right as the first note of Circle of Life begins to play.

With all that seems to be happening in life on the daily along with the world around us, I found it necessary to take a few moments to walk down memory lane and relish in some nostalgia for this week’s writing.

So, buckle your seat belts and get ready because here goes nothing.

This week’s post was written in the comfort of my childhood room and being surrounded by those four walls of comfort, serenity, and security brought back so much nostalgia.

It reminded me of the days in high school when I would be awoken by my alarm and the door would open with my mom popping in to make sure I was awake and getting myself ready for breakfast and the bus. It also brought back the rush of memories from the late nights that I would spend huddled up against my bed in the wee hours of the morning after getting home from rehearsal from Show Choir to complete the homework that was due the next day.

Even to this day, there are still things in my childhood room that bring back such memories during my time growing up. It’s as if it happened yesterday.

One of those objects is the stitched prayer that my family used to always have us say before we got into bed each night. It is quite familiar and you can probably recite along:

“Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray my Lord thy soul to keep. Guide me safely through the night, wake me with the morning light. Amen.”

That stitched prayer still hangs on my wall and even at the age of 31, saying that prayer and looking at those words, fills my soul with such a rich warmth.

Some of the other items in my room that bring back a flood of good memories are the trophies from my years in Show Choir during high school that my mom has so neatly organized with the shelves on the wall. Each trophy fills my head with memories of music, costumes, dance moves, and thrills of performing in front of an audience. The time I spent with the high school Show Choir definitely fueled my passion for keeping that part of the arts in my life alive when I went off to college.

There are also a few trophies and medals from my days of playing soccer. Yes, you did read that sentence correctly. I played sports! And quite honestly, I wasn’t that bad. Soccer is definitely something I would go back and play in a heartbeat if I could find the time to do it. My favorite position to play? Midfield. My least favorite position to play? Goalie because I would be afraid the ball would ruin my beautiful teeth…

KIDDING! Well…kind of…not really.

Well, I hope you are ready for this next section of nostalgia because it’s pretty intense. Do you have your seat belts buckled?!

Well, here goes.

Recently, my mom found in her box of goodies that she kept for me from my time growing up all the letters that I used to write to Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Louie the Leprechaun!

Yes, that’s right. I was quite the letter writer to these folks and I have the visual proof to show you. And let me tell you, my letters to these peeps were like pure gold.

Don’t believe me. Well’s let’s just read an example.

“Dear Tooth Fairy,

I lost a tooth but I don’t know now where it went. From John Paul. Happy Mother’s Day. Happy Smiles.”

I know. I know. Pure gold, right?!

Well, how about this one to Santa Clause.

“Dear Santa,

I’m trying to be a good boy this year. I would like The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and a new cash register for my play kitchen. If I deserve anything else, please surprise me. Billy would like anything surprise him! P.S.-you could get him anything! This year I have Mrs. Carlton as a teacher and I like her A LOT! Well gotta go! Bye! Bye!

P.S.-Say hello to Mrs. Claus for me. Also, please try and write back in the COLOR PRINTER.

Sincerely,

John Welliver”

Nostalgia to a T right there. it was magical. It was one of those aspects of life that really defined my childhood growing up and I would not want it any other way. Such moments like searching for our Easter baskets on Easter morning, sneaking out to the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve to see what Santa had brought and making sure the cookies and milk were all finished, coming home from school and discovering that Louie the Leprechaun had made a mess of my room and left his footprints to prove it, or finding that special amount of cash under the pillow for the recent tooth that was lost.

They were all moments that defined my childhood growing up and all moments that I look back on and smile at with such passion.

There is more visual proof of the many letters that I used to write, so I hope you continue to read on.

And you’ll see a rainbow theme. Can we say foreshadowing? Haha.

I’ve recently started watching episodes of The Brady Bunch on Hulu and it brings me right back to the days when we would sit around the living room as a family and watch the exact same episodes together as a family during the Nick at Nite evening blocks of classic shows that would take place on weeknights throughout the Summer. It also brings me back to the days when I would have a “sleepover” with my mom in the living room on Saturday nights. She would sleep on the couch and I would bring my sleeping bag out to put in the living room. We would put on the TV; however, I usually didn’t last long and would fall asleep within like 10 minutes of hitting the pillow with my head.

As I sit here writing these words in my childhood room, I smile. I smile because of the memories I’ve made in the past growing up within in these 4 walls that still stick with me today and I smile because of the memories that are continuing to be made within these 4 walls as I grow older.

So, take a deep breath, buckle up your seat belt, and take a moment to stroll down memory lane to relish in some nostalgia of your past life.

I promise it will be worth your while.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, top of the morning and happy new week to you all!

After a three week sabbatical from blogging, I am excited to be back writing once again! I hope you were all able to get some time to catch up on past blogs, relish in your favorites, get the wheels turning in your brain for future topics you would like to see me write about, and enjoy the extremely hot sunshine Mother Nature has been throwing our way.

Before I dive in to this week’s post, I must take a moment to thank everyone for being patient and supportive throughout my weeks away. I definitely missed writing and sharing sunshine and joy with you all!

Yesterday morning started out like most Sunday mornings. My alarm went off bright and early at 6:30am…well, if you want to get technical, my internal clock woke me up at 6:15am before the alarm even sounded. Don’t you just dislike how that ALWAYS seems to happen?

Anyhoo, I got out of bed, headed to the bathroom for my daily morning ritual of putting in contacts, brushing my teeth, shaving my face, and putting on running clothes.

I opened the front door, walked through the breeze of the brisk morning air to get to my car, and headed to the office of my full-time job to do some running.

After completing 3.2 miles between a mix of parking lot laps and some road side sprints, I showered, put on church clothes, and headed to Wawa for my traditional morning coffee stop. Can you guess my traditional morning coffee order from Wawa?!

I mean…if you guessed cream and sugar, you are half right! Haha!

My official Wawa coffee order is a 24 oz. Hazelnut coffee with sugar and French Vanilla creamer. So, if you ever want to give Mr. Sunshine an extra boost of energy or smile, you know how to accomplish that with a quick stop by the Wawa hot beverage station.

My apologies…I digress. This is what we call “shiny ball syndrome.”

I got into my car, put on Martina McBride’s “This One For The Girls” to jam out to, and preceded to take a few sips of my delicious coffee as I made the final trek to church.

As I parked the car, I walked into the sanctuary where I was greeted with a huge smile by Vicar Angie–who was back for the first Sunday in 5 weeks since traveling to Tanzania. It was a moment of pure joy that mixed beautifully with the happy feeling I was already experiencing from the Wawa coffee and belting the lyrics to Martina’s song.

I began to prepare my music and get organized as members of the congregation started to trickle in. I decided to pull up my phone to check out CNN.com because I hadn’t done so in awhile and wanted to get a quick update on what was happening in the world.

And as the webpage began to fully load, I immediately sunk down on the piano bench with a wave of emotion that started to bring tears to my eyes. The headline read:

“A Deadly Day In America.”

I quickly scanned the story that was now in the palm of my hand on the screen—not one, but two shootings in one day killing a total of 29 individuals and injuring several others in the states of both Texas and Ohio.

My heart sank. My eyes filled with tears.

It is moments like these that are the toughest for me to cope with.

The world is something that scares me because of the increasing amount of hatred, violence, and uncertainty we experience on the daily.

It is moments like these that make it both incredibly tough and draining to live out the Mr. Sunshine energy and positivity.

It is moments like these that make it even harder to be the shine amidst the dark.

How does one shine amidst the dark you might ask?

It is the million dollar question that doesn’t have an exact answer; however, I plan to describe to you all how I try to keep the shine alive.

Below are three things that I do within my life to help filter negative from world events and how I channel it into an energy of positivity, love, and kindness.

1. Journaling: This is a very simple task that I’ve been doing on and off for a couple of years. While it is something that I would eventually like to do everyday, I usually end up writing in it when there is something negative occurring in either my life or the world. I take the negative emotions I’m feeling and word vomit…well “write vomit” them into a journal. I don’t filter what I say…I just write. I write what I feel and I write until I feel there are no more words left in me to come out. There is something so satisfying and rejuvenating about “letting it all out on the table” as they say…except…I’m writing it in a journal. Doing this allows me to filter negative energy into a place that is for my eyes only. I’ve found the most success with my journaling in places that are quiet and conducive to a meditation-like state of mind. The church sanctuary is a place where I’ve often found myself writing these thoughts, the comfort of my room at home, or in nature surrounded by only trees, sky, and air. Doing this is SO helpful. You should try it.
2. Music: This is an aspect of my life that I often find myself turning to when the world around me is dark and cold. Music helps me find solace, peace, and comfort when turmoil seems to be everywhere. It is something that allows me to express emotion through the keys of a piano into an art that can be enjoyed by many. It is something that allows me to share emotion with those around me in hopes of helping them to dig deep into the emotions of their own personal life and be one-on-one with the notes they hear played and to feel something real and something raw.
3. Work For A Cause: This one is the most important to me. While the world continues to throw curve balls of violence and negativity, it is up to us to swing our bats and hit those curve balls with elements of positivity, love, and kindness. And one of the ways I do that is by working for a cause. Those that have been with me since my Penn State days know that pediatric cancer research is a cause close to my heart. It is something that I’m extremely passionate about and will continue to fight for in my years of life on this planet until a cure is found. This year, I’m trying to run 1000 miles while attempting to raise $16,000 toward pediatric cancer research through The Four Diamonds Fund. The fire inside my soul is ignited even brighter during times of darkness. The flames inside me fire up even more because we are the ones that are responsible for change. We are the ones who can influences others through the facets of love and kindness. We are the ones who can spread positive energy like ripples in a pond to the communities around us. Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Find a cause you are passionate about. Be the change. Don’t just think about. Go and do.

It doesn’t seem like the world will be stopping its curve balls of negativity toward us anytime soon. The headlines of mass casualty shootings, deadly weather events, and other violent acts in the world show no sign of slowing down.

So, tackle the curve balls by stepping forward and hitting it head on. Don’t step back. Don’t hide away. Don’t strike out.

It’s time to be the change.

It’s time to go and do.

It’s time to be the shine amidst the dark.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

 

Happy Monday, friends!

I’m sorry for taking last week off; however, I was just not in the mental capacity to write a new post. A heartfelt thank you for your understanding and support. I’m excited to be back in full force this week!

I don’t know about you; however, I don’t think it felt like the Fourth of July at all this past week. Anyone? Anyone? Am I alone on this feeling? For me, it kind of felt like “just another day.” In fact, none of the holidays that have been celebrated this year have really felt the same to me. I just can’t put my finger on it. Maybe it’s because I’m becoming old.

The dogs days of Summer have certainly been no stranger to us these past few weeks. I hope everyone is staying hydrated and giving their air conditioning a workout. Get ready for that high electric bill!

Anyhoo, I digress. Let’s get on to the topic at hand for this week’s post…

And that topic is…Summer milestones!

With society telling us that Summer is already half over, I’m excited to share with you three of my greatest milestones thus far since June 21st–the actual official day that Summer started.

1. Becoming debt free with student loans

I’m one of those people that feel like I’ve been paying off student loans since birth. Raise your hand and say “Hey!” if you agree! The constant monthly payments that have always seemed to creep up on me twice a month since graduating college in 2010…well, I’m glad to finally say that they are GONE and out of my life FOREVER. That’s right…debt free from those pesky things that we call student loans. (Insert happy dance for days here). It feels liberating.

Getting these loans to the magic number of 0 over the years has been quite the task. How did I accomplish it? Well, with some hard work at a full-time job and several part time jobs, a payment plan, and a rigid concept of determination in my mind…not to sound cliche, but that’s basically how it worked. Making payments when I found myself having extra funds during a particular month was also beneficial.

And seriously…for those of you out there who are working on getting down to that magic number of 0–don’t give up. Get set up on a payment plan if you aren’t already and budget out times during the year based on your income and finances where you can make an extra payment or two to get ahead. It will work wonders. Believe me.

What will I do now with the extra money I’ll save per month? Probably buy some more ice cream for the freezer. KIDDING. Well, kind of. I mean…I will always be buying ice cream, but I might enjoy an extra half gallon…or two…or five. Shhh…don’t tell anyone!

2. Becoming an uncle

On June 24th, the Welliver family became a bit larger as my brother, Will and his wife, Mindy welcomed baby Mackenzie Marion into the world! She brought with her a full head of hair. I’m so thankful to God and everyone in my life for their support, love, and prayers toward Mindy and Will as they made their way through this pregnancy. They had some rough patches leading up to this moment and I couldn’t be more grateful that all turned out well.

She is incredibly adorable and cute and all I want to do is hold her constantly! There is just something so special and calming about snuggling a baby in your arms…and that new baby smell. It is something that can’t be described–it has to be experienced. And I can honestly say that I’ve enjoyed the moments I’ve already got to spend holding Mackenzie SO much and I’m SO looking forward to many more in the future.

I’m excited to watch her grow up and hopefully share some sunshine as she makes her way in this world.

I hope that I can do her justice as an Uncle. Only time will tell!

3, Reaching the halfway month in my 1K For 10K running journey for pediatric cancer research

On June 21st–the first official day of Summer–I hit the 500th mile in my 1K for 10K journey. Say what?! The halfway point to 1000 miles has officially been recorded! In addition to this milestone, I’m just about $400 away from hitting the $9000 total funds raised mark, which is literally insane. July kicks off Month 7 in this journey and being so close to the $10,000 total goal with 5 months still to go makes me speechless. It looks like I’ll be increasing that goal by a few thousand before end of year.

As of the writing of this post at 11:21pm Sunday night, I’ve clocked over 170 runs, more than 550 miles, and have raised an official $8625 total from the generosity of more than 100 donors. It is incredible to see the amount of love, support, and hope from individuals all over who have shared their passion and stories with me as I continue pounding miles to find a cure.

For those who are interested, this month if you donate $15.00 or more, I will play a song of your choice on the piano. That’s right. Any song at all…the choice is yours. So, that means head over to 1KFOR10K.COM to make a donation and help me join the fight to bring hope for a cure to these kids and their families.

We are and WE WILL CRUSH these goals together while finding a cure.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for you this week! We are halfway through the Summer and have halfway left to go! I look forward to even more milestones in the coming weeks as we continue to full speed ahead to the hottest dog days of weather.

So, grab your sun tan lotion, set your air conditioning to the temperature that keeps you cool to prevent those hot flashes, and bring out the flip flops because the second half of sweet Summer time is ready to kick our butts into full gear!

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

 

 

Another happy Monday to all of you!

It’s hard to believe that we just celebrated the official first day of Summer according to our calendar and before we know it, it will be July 4th. I always remember being told that July 4th meant that Summer was half over; however, it just started. I don’t get it. Anyone else feel like this? Or am I in the minority on this one?

Also, quick side note before I get on to this week’s blog post.

I would kindly ask for all of your thoughts, prayers, and good vibes for my brother, his wife, and future Baby Girl Welliver. She was officially admitted into the hospital yesterday after having some very painful contractions. Her official due date is July 3rd; however, with the difficult pregnancies that they have experienced in the past, everything makes me extra worried. So, if you have a free moment to say a prayer or two or send a good thought their way, it would certainly be appreciated.

Well, let’s get down to business…to defeat the Huns. Yahsss to Disney songs getting stuck in my head.

Those that know me extremely well know that I’m a huge fan of tradition. I love creating new ones and I love celebrating old ones. I feel like there are so many that I’ve experienced thus far in my 31 years on this Earth; however, there is one that will forever always be my favorite. For ever and ever. Regardless of how old I get.

And that tradition is the beach with my family.

This annual Summer trip is something that has been occurring for literally as long as I can remember…and we are talking like wee little Mr. Sunshine days, so at least a decade and a half…I’ll have to check with Mama Welliver on my statistics.

One of my favorite things about the beach is that it can always both relax and calm your mind no matter how much anxiety or stress it is being put through.

There is nothing quite like hearing the waves crash on the sand or seeing the sun set in the distance over the water creating a picture that seems almost always too perfect for words.

Back in the day, we would stay at a hotel called The Lotus Inn in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey. It was one that my parents had always gone to when they traveled down after they first got married. The owners were the sweetest people and always made sure that their guests were taken care of properly with warm welcomes and smiles–two things that go a long way in today’s society.

I remember loving the water as a younger child and not being able to contain my excitement to walk across the street and put my feet in the sand. Mama Welliver always did a good job in making sure we were prepared with our sunscreen and water shoes. I was the kid who was not a fan of the water shoes though, so the minute I stepped into the water and felt something like a crab or other kind of sea creature at my feet, I would scream like a little girl and do high knee kicks out of the ocean.

I may or may not still do that…

Growing up, we would only stay at the beach for a short stay–usually 4 days and 3 nights, but it never mattered how long of a time period it was–it was always great to get away from life and spend some quality time with each other.

It was always a fun task when each of us had to either pick a place to eat dinner, play mini golf (a Welliver family favorite), or get ice cream to indulge our sweet tooth. My favorite go-to restaurant that I ALWAYS wanted to populate (and still do to this day) is called Bandanas. A cute, little Mexican restaurant with the best food. It’s one of those true gems that never disappoints. What we would call “a hole in the wall.”

Of course…as with everything…traditions change. And now, our annual beach trip takes place in North Wildwood for a week over the Labor Day holiday where we take up residence in our Cousins’ beach house condo.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate both the quality time aspect of being around people I love while also enjoying the get away from the “real world chaos” known as daily life. Well, known as adulting, actually.

As I’ve gotten older, I’m also become lesser of a fan of the water and more of a tanner with the sun. I’m also the person that puts on actual tanning lotion and not sun tan lotion. Yes, I know…you don’t need to lecture me.

Our week vacations at the beach are known to include several nights out to enjoy a delicious meal at some of our favorite local hot spot restaurants, cooking in for dinner and having a meal at the table in the dining room with conversation, lots of beach time, coffee and breakfast on the front patio, wine and game night that usually includes a pretty intense match of Catchphrase or Uno Roboto, and quiet nights of reading books or just watching a movie. Oh, and I can’t possibly forget the tradition of getting a hot dog from the retired veteran who has a stand set up right when you walk on to the beach. Nothing beats a hot dog with some ketchup, mustard, onions and an ice cold A&W root beer to wash it down with–the perfect beach lunch.

It’s truly amazing what a week at the beach can do for you. It’s a time to forget about your troubles, a time to relax and be stress-free, a time to recharge, rejuvenate, and rejoice in the simple things…quality time with those in your life that you appreciate.

By the time September rolls around, I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that I will be ready for a vacation. Heck, I’m probably ready for one now. Correction…I AM ready for one now.

So, celebrate traditions…both old and new. And learn to appreciate them for what they are worth. They are moments that will bring your soul the greatest joy and fulfillment for days to come.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

 

Monday greetings to you all!

I hope everyone has had an enjoyable week since last week’s post and was able to soak up some sunshine amidst the crazy rain and wind that Mother Nature decided to mix in as well. It’s hard to believe that we are already entering the third week of June and that we will be looking at July 1st in just a few short days. But like, seriously though. Where is the time flying to? It’s literally insane.

A few weeks ago we got to celebrate the holiday of Mother’s Day and just yesterday, we got to follow it up with the counterpart holiday for those special men in our life…

Ding! Ding! You are correct!

FATHER’S DAY!

And as you all continue to read today’s blog post, I’d just like to take a moment and wish all the fathers out there in the world–past, present, and future a very happy and belated by one day Father’s Day…this also includes those fathers who are no longer with us. All of you are (and have been and continue to be) pioneers in the world around us with your support, guidance, and compassion. And we couldn’t be more thankful for that!

And…with that being said, I’d like to extend a HUGE happy Father’s Day to my ever amazing and incredible Dad! Without him, I wouldn’t have inherited any type of tall gene…haha. But in all seriousness, there are many aspects of my life that he has helped to mold and shape who I am today and that is what I hope to express in this week’s post.

I guess it’s always good to start at the beginning since it always seems to be the most logical place to start. But alas, I don’t want to be logical this week. So, please put your arms and legs inside the car and buckle your seat belts…because we are not starting at the beginning.

On the evening of October 21st, I was at rehearsal at EPAC for the December production of Beauty and the Beast. I had just been with my parents earlier in the day for lunch after church and remember my dad looking pale, weak, and not at all like himself. It was very out of the blue because my dad is a healthy person who visits the gym regularly, walks the dogs on the daily, and is active at his full-time job and also at home around the house. Something just didn’t seem right. And sure enough, that evening around 6pm, I got a text from my mom letting me know that they were headed to the ER.

In just a moment, everything had changed. My sudden mood was shifted to extreme concern and worry. It was the fear of the unknown. Not knowing that to expect, what to think, or what was wrong. It was absolutely terrifying.

Needless to say, it was a moment in my life where I realized that nothing can ever be taken for granted and that we must all learn to say “I love you” and “I appreciate you in my life” as often as possible because we never know when those opportunities will be taken away.

Today, my dad is just about back to 100%, feeling great, and as active as ever. I’ve told him that he’s not allowed to scare us like that again, especially since his wife passed along her worry wart gene to me too!

My dad is an extremely intelligent man. He is definitely the person that I could see giving Ken Jennings a run for him money on Jeopardy! He seems to have so much knowledge about everything, even the most random of facts, which I think sparks from his joy of reading books constantly and just seeking out knowledge about all types of topics through different facets of research. I feel like I always buy him books for his birthday, Father’s Day, and any other holiday that involves gift giving; however, I’ve recently started to get him on the fun sock kick. You’re welcome, dad.

Just a random fun side note for you…my dad does much better with calling me JP than Mama Welliver does. She is still on the Johnny train!

It hasn’t always been the easiest to connect with my dad and when I became open about my sexuality, it was definitely a point of tension in our relationship. He was not as vocal about it when it was brought to the forefront—it seemed like more disappoint than anything that was expressed with little actual vocalization.

But after some open conversation, questions, and seeking to understand each other’s perspective, we worked through the tension and have become much stronger as a father and son, which I couldn’t be more thankful for.

My dad is someone who has been at all the concerts, shows, award ceremonies and anything that a parent could attend through elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and even present day. He is the one that usually gets the lucky task of being the chauffeur of my mom to these events, which I know he enjoys very much. I can’t tell you how much it means to a son having the privilege to see parents in the audience supporting each endeavor that I undertake in life There are no real words to describe it, but it is something that gives my soul warmth and joy.

Another fun side note…dad can drive really slow when he chauffeurs. Sometimes, I secretly want him to put the pedal to the medal…just a bit!

My dad is the one who is responsible for my tall gene. And even though I still feel like I’m growing and that my pants get shorter each time I put them on, he still beats me out by about an inch or two. Give it another year or two and I’ll be the tallest Welliver boy in the family.

My dad is the one that is responsible for helping me create a budget in life and to always think through a purchase first before I make it. (The new car that I bought a month ago doesn’t count).

My dad is the one that is responsible for my OCD craziness with grammar and double checking every email, blog post, letter, or other entity that I write. All those years of him marking up the rough drafts of my papers really paid off!

My dad is the one that is responsible for helping me all the little bits of advice and guidance that I need on house projects, repairs, 401Ks, car trouble, or basically anything that falls under the category of “adulting.” He is always there to offer his two cents and give me a fair, honest opinion when needed.

Dad—thank you for always being there to support me through it all. Thank you for passing down your tall gene, for always coming out to watch my shows even if they are ones that don’t excite you, and for pushing me to always put 110% into everything that I undertake. Thank you for being an integral part of my musical life and sharing the gift of your tenor voice whenever I need it.

Two moments that I will never forget as long as I live was hearing how proud you were of me when I completed my 46 hours at THON during my senior year at college. The second is seeing you cheer me on during the first year of the Hope Express when I was running my last leg up the hill and I was struggling. But halfway up the hill, I saw you and mom cheering me on and it filled me with such joy and energy that it kept me going.

Thank you for taking time to seek and understand my sexuality. I know it wasn’t easy and I know that it still has both scary and rough moments for you, but it is something that I can’t put into words with how much I appreciate it and how much it means to me.

In the past year, I’ve watched you lose both of your parents and while I know that it has been a personal struggle for you at times, you have never given up on me or your family. You continue to support us, love us, and guide us through the trying times called life.

I couldn’t be prouder of the fact that you are my dad. Thank you for being one heck of an incredible man in the Welliver family…and joining me and Will on the fun sock train.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, happy Monday greetings all! I hope everyone had a great week and is ready to start another great week together! I also hope that everyone was able to enjoy some type of sunshine (whether it was literal sunshine or figurative sunshine) in some way, shape, or form!

It’s hard to believe that we are already into the second week of June. Can someone please tell me where the time is going? I think in the upcoming weeks I might need to write a letter to Father Time asking him to slow down the sand through the hour glass just a tad…these are the days of our lives…such a good soap opera drama that I used to love watching back in the day. Just a little fun side note for you before we delve into this week’s post!

Well, enough about the days of our lives and soap operas…let’s get down to the real nitty gritty…this week’s post! May I have a drum roll please?!

:DRUM ROLL: (Please imagine one playing in your head or make the sound effect yourself as you continue reading).

This week’s post is all about milestones in my life and what I’ve learned thus far.

This post marks my 40th official one since starting this endeavor back in August! That is literally CRAY CRAY CRAY. And that’s not the only milestone we are celebrating! Well, technically the second milestone is something that we are celebrating a bit pre-maturely; however, it is not too far off from happening in the near future…and that is reaching the 500th mile with the 1K For 10K year-long challenge.

For those of you who may or may not know, I launched a year-long challenge on January 2nd to run 1000 miles and raise $10,000 for pediatric cancer research throughout the entire year of 2019. And in just about 10 days, I will officially hit the halfway point with the mileage that has been clocked thus far in the journey. Talk about more CRAY CRAY CRAY. I feel like this journey just started yesterday.

So, what I have learned throughout these milestones that I write about today?

Well, read on to find out!

~Three Things That I’ve Learned From Writing 40 Blog Posts~

1. I’ve come to realize that I’m much better at blog post writing when it is last minute.

-Everyone knows that I’m someone who has my life planned out quite heavily. I mean, I wrote a blog post about the art of joyful planning and how I keep my planner organized through color coding. And if you were to pick up my planner, you will see activities written from now until December. But, believe it or not, blog post writing is not something that I’m good at planning out. I’ve found through these past 40 posts that it is something I usually have the most success with on Sunday nights right before the official deadline posting of Monday at 6:30am. I often try to find inspiration on the daily whether it be through events happening in the world or my personal life. Of course, topics are always something that I’m open to suggestions for, so if you have something you would like to see me write about, just give me a shout! Feel free to message me with a short email message, Facebook message, or DM me on Instagram! So many options, so no excuses are allowed! If you have ideas in your head about what Mr. Sunshine should write about, send them on over!

2. I’ve come to realize that people in this world really need positive energy and vibes.

-When I decided that I wanted to start blogging, my main goal was to provide a format that focused on positive energy, love, and kindness–the core values that I was brought up on and that I believe in with my whole heart and try to live out on the daily. And just when I think that I’m not making a difference with my weekly writings and feel like no one is paying attention to the posts, I get a message or comment about how something I said has helped someone or that they have really appreciated the words they read. Just last week, I got a text message from my former roommate of junior and senior year of college, Jolie saying the below:

“While I love your blog post every week, I especially loved this week’s post. I can distinctly remember you telling me our freshman year how your parents along with others close to you initially had so much trouble accepting your sexuality and I remember how it felt seeing you hurt from that. I am so glad our society is making slow progress in acceptance but it saddens me to think of how far we have yet to come. Love you always, JP! Keep being you and keep spreading sunshine because God knows this world needs it.”

It is feedback and messages like this that overflow my soul and heart with warmth and why I find it so important to continue spreading sunshine in all the ways whether big or small.

3. I’ve come to realize that social media still makes me have reactive emotions.

-One of my greatest struggles that I still find myself continuing to wrestle with on the daily is allowing social media to get the best of me. On the flip side, one of the entities that I’m most proud of in my life is that I work very hard to be authentic through all outlets of social media. In essence, what you see is exactly what you get. No filters. No gimmicks…just me, Mr. Sunshine. Or your money back guaranteed. I don’t try to bullshit anything and I write with an open and vulnerable heart. And while I may look at other’s social media and see what looks to be like perfection and become reactive and jealous, I must realize that a lot of times, what we are seeing is “filtered” images of how these people wish us to see their lives.

~Three Things That I’ve Learned From Running 500 Miles~

1. I’ve come to realize that my passion for finding a cure for pediatric cancer has become even stronger since graduating from Penn State.

-I graduated 9 years ago from Penn State and THON was a huge part of my college life. It changed me forever. However, that passion has grown even more in my adult life since graduation day a mere 9 years ago. And that passion is something that I continue to work on sharing with the world through my endeavors of running to find a cure–most recently with the current 1K For 10K challenge.  My flame of passion inside my soul stays strongly lit for those who have passed and those who are still fighting–specifically Kristin, Ellen, Sally, Carlene, Wendy, Lexi, and Pat.

2. I’ve come to realize that the pain I might feel in my legs/feet from running almost everyday is nothing compared to the pain of what these families, kids, and all those fighting this disease are going through.

-Running 3 miles a day can begin to take it’s toll, especially after 6 months of doing it on the daily. Believe me…there are days where I’ve wanted to make the excuse to not run any miles at all. But, then I remember that I’m responsible to keep fighting for hope to stay alive and that I will not rest until a cure is found. And I must always remember that any pain that my body might be feeling is nothing compared to what these families, kids, and other individuals fighting this disease are battling on the daily. Running 3 miles a day is the least that I can do. But, in my heart, I believe with 110% confidence that a cure–a light at the end of the tunnel–is ahead and we will charge forward together to find that light.

3. I’ve come to realize that no matter what you try to undertake in life, that there will always be the nay-sayers who try to bring you down with their negative attitude an energy.

-While I know that we are living in the 21st century, I’m still the 31 year-old eternal optimist who likes to believe that everyone in the world has some type of good within themselves. Of course, people will call me naive because that just isn’t the reality, which is incredibly sad. And as I sit here writing this, I say to those who have found it necessary to make vocal that I won’t reach my goals in my 1K For 10K challenge, shame on you. Shame on you for thinking that it is necessary to bring about a negative attitude on a cause that is so close to my heart. Little do you know that I will have the last laugh. Because of your piss poor attitude, the flame of hope that I keep lit inside me only burns brighter. And with that brightness, I plan to CRUSH my goals and then some, so just you wait. Mr. Sunshine will prevail and WILL HAVE the last laugh. Amen.

Well, there you have it, folks. Just a few things that I’ve learned from the milestones that I’ve accomplished with both my blogging and my running journeys.

I don’t hide behind filters. I don’t hide behind a mask. I am open, honest, vulnerable and wear my heart on my sleeve.

And I will continue to live out my life as a single gay man in the 21st century fulfilling my calling of spreading sunshine through the facets of love and kindness.

Here’s to the nay-sayers and the many more milestones that are to come.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!