Mr. Sunshine Smiles

Happy Monday, everyone!

And happy October too!

Can you believe that we are officially into the tenth month of the year?!

Say WHAT?!

Yesterday, I had the extreme pleasure of being able to speak as part of Lititz Chooses Love’s Coming Out Festival.

It was beautiful.

I share those words with you now.

Hi everyone! It is quite an honor to be here today surrounded by so many wonderful, loving, and supportive individuals! 

It is an extremely humbling opportunity for me to share a few words with you that I hope will bring encouragement and fill you with hope. 

For those who may not know, my name is JP Welliver and I am an extremely proud gay man who has been out of the closet since 2005–the junior year of my high school career. 

And while the experience of coming out of the closet was one that lifted an incredibly huge weight off my shoulders and while I was supported (and continue to be supported) by extremely loving parents, family, and friends–I know that is not a reality for everyone.

The year is 2022 and people continue to be chastised, judged, treated unfairly, beaten, abused, marginalized.

Individuals who identify in the LGTBQ+ community and embrace love for all can’t even walk around in public holding hands without being stared at or given verbal abuse. 

And that breaks my heart. 

And it should break yours as well. 

When I began to write these words a few weeks ago, I tried to think about things in life that bring me joy. 

And I landed on the rainbow. 

The rainbow. 

A symbol that is intensely joyful that when it transforms the sky with its thin band of beautiful colors, it stops crowds of people in their tracks…

…grabbing their photo to capture the moment and experience the magic and beauty of its majestic colors. 

Just thinking about a rainbow image makes me smile.

The rainbow is something that can bring a sense of energy and enthusiasm that unites crusaders of LGBTQ+ activism under a banner of activism with a feeling of joy. The rainbow welcomes outsiders and unites all in a common cause. 

I want to take a moment to share reflections with those out there struggling with their identity and sexuality. Always be true to yourself and never sacrifice anything for what you feel in your heart. Know that you are not alone and that there will always be people around to wrap you in love and warmth when the world seems cold and closes in with darkness. Find your support system. They are out there and are ready to love and support you in life’s toughest moment of weakness.

I want to take a moment to share some reflections to those who view me and my fellow LGTBQ+ community as different. I hope that you will one day be able to look past the walls of judgement that you have built up and realize that we are no different than you. And while we may identify with feelings for those of the same sex, we are still human beings full of love and pride.   

I encourage all of you to celebrate the rainbow and the LGTBQ+ community and to extend a hand to all in this world by spreading love and kindness.  Not just this month, but every month of the year. Do it today, tomorrow, and each day after. 

There may be days in my life left on this Earth that I (along with some of you here today) get bullied, called faggot or other derogatory terms, or struggle with the thoughts of hurting yourself. Hate, prejudice, and bigotry are still very much alive in our Country.

And if you are someone or happen to know someone who thinks these entities do not exist, I would kindly ask you to look around you or when you find yourself in the comfort of your home later this evening to look out the window. 

And as you gaze out that window, I ask you to look at the world around you and realize that it is not perfect and far from it.

And after looking out the window and at the world, go look at yourself in the mirror.

And as you look at yourself in the mirror, take a moment to ask yourself this question:

“Am I enabling the problem or helping to end it.”

While I realize that some of you have never experienced a moment of bigotry, prejudice, or hate (and might never experience one), I need you to understand that it still exists.

Very much so.

For so many people from all different walks of life…not just those who identify as part of the LGTBQ+ community.

And it is a reality that I have lived in these 35 years of life more than once. More times that can be counted on your fingers and toes combined.

Do you ever walk out of your house in fear that you might get hurt because of the person you are and people you love? 

Do you ever think that you will be discriminated against because of the people you love? 

Do you ever think that you will be made fun of or bullied because of who you are?

These are all questions that I have (and continue to) answer ‘yes’ to on the daily.

And while I hope and pray that we will eventually live in a world where none of this hatred and prejudice exist, I sincerely hope and pray that you will do your best to show love and kindness to everyone you meet and to help bring an end to discrimination and all the elements of hatred that come along with it.

But I do know this. I am a believer in sharing love and kindness to everyone regardless of social status, ethnicity, religion, skin color, or sexual orientation. 

I fight for what I believe in.

Every morning, I wake up and look in the mirror and repeat the below mantra to myself:

I am loved. I am worthy. I am colorful.

I stand before you in this very moment with great pride in my true colors and can’t wait to continue sharing with the world who I am and what I’m about. 

We need to stop the hating, the judgments, the bullying, and work together as one to break down the walls of hate that have paralyzed our society with the belief that the LGTBQ+ community is different. This world needs more love.

The events that have unfolded and continue to unfold in the world around us are clear examples that we are in need of so much more love and kindness.

Where are the open arms of love that we should be extending to ALL humans regardless of the gender of the humans they love? 

When will the hating stop? 

When will the violence end? 

When are we going to wake up as a human race and realize that people who love the same sex are no different than anyone else? 

When is the world going to realize that love is love is love?

And even when life isn’t a rainbow, I’m a proud one that will continue to be the symbol of joy to puncture the despair around us and send up flag signaling hope to all. 

Let’s continue to be those flags of hope together. 

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Monday greetings, folks!

Or at least I think it is Monday…can someone confirm?

Oh, and happy Fall too!

I’m not going to lie…writing this week’s blog post was a challenge.

Like…writer’s block kicked in.

There are weeks when I know exactly what I’m going to write about and the words flow on the screen as I type furiously on the laptop.

And there are weeks when I literally stare at the screen and can’t think of the words to share with you.

Well, it was one of those weeks.

I spent some of the Sunday afternoon driving around in my car trying to find inspiration.

I stopped in at my full-time job’s office and sat at my desk thinking inspiration would magically come to me.

I walked around the office building doing laps several times hoping the words would start spilling from my mind to my fingers.

Nothing.

And, here it is, 10:31pm on a Sunday evening, and I’m lying on my bed with my laptop currently writing what you are reading.

And that was after staring at the screen for 30 minutes as the cursor flashed in front of my face.

So, let’s get on with it.

I won’t keep you long.

Earlier today when I was driving around in my car, I started to cry.

It was impossible to hold back the tears though I tried to keep them from flowing down my cheeks.

Just last week I was crying with Pastor Angie in her office…and here I was…crying again uncontrollably in the privacy of my car with the tunes playing from my phone as the sky around me started to become dark with storm clouds.

And I can honestly say that I had no idea what I was crying about.

It was like a combination moment of both feeling lost in the world while also feeling disheartened by its events.

And after driving around for about 45 minutes, I saw the sun ever so slightly peak through above me.

It was beautiful.

It was like God and the world telling me to pause…inhale…exhale.

Pause.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Let go of the negative shit and move on.

And with the letting go, make sure to take moments to find comfort in the plain and simple.

Take that extra scoop of ice cream from the carton.

Embrace squeezing the pillow on the nights when you feel scared.

Smile at the sunshine in the sky.

Have that extra cocktail with your friends at the bar and stay out past your bedtime.

Embrace the peace and darkness of your bedroom (or other room) and sit with your eyes closes for 5 minutes.

Enjoy the sensation of soap cleaning your hands as you lather away the germs from life.

Wrap yourself tighter in favorite blanket that offers security from all the insecurities.

Stand in a hot shower for an extra minute as you breathe out the toxicity of whatever it is that is grappling your mind.

Smell that fresh bouquet of flowers from the side-road stands you pass on your drive to work.

Take a drive in the Countryside with no agenda or time constraints.

Cry.

Plain and simple.

I hope that each of you will take just a few moments to find comfort in the plain and simple of life.

Today, tomorrow, and each day after.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Hello and welcome to another Monday, new week, and new post!

And while I will be the first to tell you that I love the heat and sun of Summer, I am quite anxious and excited to experience the cooler temperatures that the Fall season brings us.

As well as everything pumpkin…I mean DUH.

It’s that time again for pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin carving, pumpkin pie, etc.

Would you believe that I even found pumpkin spice whole milk and pumpkin spice butter at the grocery store?!

What will they think of next??

I have still yet to see pumpkin spice body lotion…

…just saying.

Anyhoo, let’s get on with this week’s post.

Post #185 to be exact!

You. Are. Enough.

Read that again.

YOU. ARE. ENOUGH.

In a society and world where there is so much dark shit happening on the daily, it can be hard to remember the entity of checking in on others let alone keeping all of the burdens we carry ourselves together.

Ever since the pandemic, mental health has become an entity pushed to the forefront of our lives.

But as a society we need to make sure we are doing better and talking about it.

Yesterday, after our faith community’s church service, I grabbed a cup of coffee in my more self love mug and sat down in Pastor Angie’s office.

And she began to cry.

Tears flowing from her eyes started to make my own eyes water.

It was a raw moment.

It was a beautiful moment to be able to experience with her.

A moment that allowed me to realize that people—even Pastors—are not immune to burn out, can be stretched beyond one’s own capacity and limits, and that the importance of needing to practice self-care is very real.

Everyone is familiar to the term of “burn out.” We have all experienced it. It is no stranger to us, especially today.

We all know what it means to be stretched beyond our limits.

In the year 2022, it seems that we often forget to practice the entities of checking in on others in our lives to make sure they are ok and letting them know they are loved.

It also seems that we often forget to practice the importance of self-care.

After this moment with Pastor Angie, I headed home to have lunch with my parents and saw that a college friend of mine that I got to enjoy being in Singing Lions with at Penn State had just released a new original song she wrote entitled “Am I Enough?”

I listened to the lyrics and beautiful tune and felt goosebumps because it aligned perfectly with everything that I had just experienced with Pastor Angie.

Many of you know, but I am always constantly busy. I balance a full-time job, two part-time jobs, and music director and church council president titles at church.

And intertwined with all of this, I receive multiple text messages and emails on the daily that require responses which I try incredibly hard to address as quickly as possible.

This means that the cleanliness of my home might go awry at times, my grocery runs might be more sporadic than normal, or that my car might not be spotless.

But, at the end of the day, I know how to practice self-care for myself in making sure that I’m taking time to disconnect, recharge, and fill up the tanks of Mr. Sunshine with energy.

Take time for yourself.

Find the self-care routine that works for you.

Check in on the others in your life to make sure they are doing ok.

Watch your favorite TV show cuddles with a blanket or squeezing a pillow, turn your phone on DND for silence from the outside word, read a book, color, take a walk around the block, go on a hike, scream at the top of your lungs in a car drive through the countryside, dance to your favorite song, or make the decision to eat the ice cream right from the container.

The shit of the world isn’t going any time soon.

But always remember…

YOU. ARE. ENOUGH.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Hi folks!

And welcome to another blog post by yours truly!

Blog post number 184 to be exact!

WOO!

I just got back from a week vacation and how crazy is it that I’m already SO busy within the first 24 hours of being home.

Welcome to the life of Mr. Sunshine.

But like, honestly…I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Well, then…let’s get down to business shall we?

This week’s blog post!

Do you have your favorite beverage with you?!

Not going to lie–it is basically pumpkin spice latte season and I CAN’T WAIT to indulge.

This past week, while at the beach, I started reading a book entitled Joyful by Ingrid Fetell.

It is a beautiful book and if you need any type of good read, I would highly recommend it.

100% guaranteed or your money back.

Anyhoo…one of the chapters in the book talks about the entity of “play.”

What is play?

In the book, play is described as the following:

“Play can put us in a powerful state, which allows us to let go of everyday worries and be absorbed in the joy of the moment.”

Read.

That.

Again,

“Play can put us in a powerful state, which allows us to let go of everyday worries and be absorbed in the joy of the moment.”

How many times do we go through our lives allowing the darkness of our world to suck the joy from all the wonderful things around us?

To be frank, it is too often.

However, reading this section of the book while on vacation really made me stop, step back, and think about the entity of play.

So…here a just a few things that I was able to find both some play and color within this past week.

1. The golden sun in the sky.
2. The blue waves of the ocean.
3. The colorful architecture of beach houses.
4. Laughs from game night at the beach (mainly Catchphrase).
5. Jokes from episodes of The Golden Girls…especially those delivered by Betty White.
6. The vibrant colors of entities around me in my home (painted walls, blue colored body wash, rainbow colors in hung artwork, colorful patterns in rugs, bright colored shorts and shirts, colorful swim trunks).
7. The jovial energy of a congregant in our faith community that sits up front and sings his heart out and always says “Amen” just one beat behind everyone else.
8. The changing colors of leaves on the trees around the city as we enter the fall season.
9. Extra laughs when I used the wrong deterfent for the dishwasher and foamy suds started appearing on the floor…literally straight out of a classic episode of The Brady Bunch if you remember the episode with the washing machine suds.

I hope this week that you take time to enjoy the COLOR around you in our world and PLAY with it to create moments of joy that will shine bright amidst the moments of darkness that get thrown in our faces constantly.

Find some color in your life.

Appreciate it.

Play with it.

You will never be able to find the joy in life if you don’t take an extra moment to step back, find the color, and play with it.

Don’t let the shit of this world ruin your colorful moments of play.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Happy Monday, folks!

Yet another week of HOT weather and extreme sunshine! Hope that you were able to enjoy it while also staying cool.

And if you could say a quick prayer or two and send a few good vibes Mother Nature’s way, we could certainly use the rain.

Anyhoo, this past Saturday, I turned the big 3-5…which means only 5 more years to 40!

I can’t even begin to thank all the beautiful souls who took time out of their busy days and schedules to send me well wishes through text, Facebook posts, Instagram messages, pictures, phone calls, and voice messages. Feeling the love, sunshine, and kindness at a time when the world is just so dark ignites my passion for wanting to make the world a better place. I can’t even begin to express my thankfulness and gratitude for each and every one of you.

And in true Mr. Sunshine fashion, the only way that I know to properly celebrate a birthday is with a blog post of light, fluffy facts…35 of them!

Let’s go! Hope you’re ready!

#35: I have had Stitch Fix for almost 4 years which is a service that you pay when you want clothes delivered to you by a personal stylist. I have had the same stylist, Brooke since starting and I have never returned a single item that she has sent me. She knows Mr. Sunshine WELL.

#34: My favorite song right now to play on the piano is River Flows in You by Yiruma.

#33: As I write this, I’m currently watching Encanto which is the third time that I’ve watched this week.

#32: I am so upset that Supermarket Sweep has not come back yet to Hulu. I was literally LOVING the reboot so much, so I sincerely hope ABC brings it back to production. I’m soon going to start a petition.

#31: Elizabeth Banks has to be one of my favorite game show hosts on TV right now. She hosts the reboot of Press Your Luck and she just radiates a genuine positive energy for wanting the contestants to win and I love seeing her cheer them on when I watch. The overall energy of the show is also so exciting that I will sometimes flap my arms because of how excited I get.

#30: My favorite Bath & Body Works scents right now are called Coastal (cologne) and Freshwater (body cream lotion).

#29: I have been looking for the Simply Spiked Lemonade drinks ever since having them in Wildwood this past June at the Barefoot Country Music Festival and have been unsuccessful. If you find them, BUY THEM! I will gladly pay you for them.

#28: My current go-to Door Dash order is a Wendy’s Baconator, 6 piece chicken nuggets, and medium fries. ALL THE CALORIES.

#27: I watched the new trailer for Disney’s remake of Pinocchio and I can’t wait for it to be available to watch.

#26: Even at 35, I still prefer to be wrapped in a blanket rather than lay under sheets.

#25: I don’t know what it is but hot dogs from Sheetz are literally the bomb.com. My favorite way to have them is with ketchup and cheddar cheese.

#24: Packing for vacation or any type of going away trip is like a game to me. I think of it like Tetris and get excitement out of making ALL the things fit.

#23: One of my favorite acceptance speeches is Sandra Bullock’s 2010 Best Actress one at The Oscars.

#22: I don’t like eating breakfast actually at breakfast. I would rather have it for lunch or dinner.

#21: I really miss Push Up pops. They were one of my favorite ice cream treats growing up as a kid. The packaging always had one of the characters from The Flintstones on it. Does anyone else remember these?

#20: I am not a fan of cherries, so if you are ever with me when I get an ice cream sundae, you better believe that I will only be getting whipped cream and hot fudge on top.

#19: I love, love, LOVE running in the extreme heat and humidity. To me, it is therapeutic and similar to people who enjoy releasing toxins and life’s stressors in the sauna.

#18: I have to start everyday with shaving my face; otherwise, my day ends up being out of whack.

#17: I don’t like riding in elevators, flying in planes, or being in a Ferris wheel.

#16: Mayo continues to still be my favorite condiment to this day. So much so that I can literally put it on pieces of bread and eat it just like that.

#15: Even at 35, I still dislike thunderstorms very much. They scare me. Period.

#14: Give me all the mashed potatoes. Favorite food hands down. And I want ranch dressing and cheddar cheese with them too. It’s not just about butter in them for me.

#13: My favorite episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show is “Chuckles Bites The Dust” and even though it is from the 70’s, it still cracks me up to tears. It is brilliant acting at its best. I watched it as part of my birthday celebration.

#12: To this day, Katy Perry’s Firework is still my favorite jam that will make me feel immediately better about anything regardless of how shitty life is.

#11: My favorite type of cheese is Cabot’s Vermont Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese.

#10: I prefer Wawa hot coffee over Sheetz hot coffee.

#9: I prefer Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee over any other type of iced coffee.

#8: Puppy cuddles are something that will never get old for me. They will always make me feel love, supported, and that the darkness in world doesn’t exist.

#7: Ever since Betty White’s passing at the end of 2021, I continue to try and live my days out thinking about her grace, her beauty, and her kindness.

#6: I will always choose a Dairy Queen ice cream cake over any other type because of the fact that there is fudge in the middle with the cookie crumble and ice cream.

#5: My favorite version of the movie Cinderella is the Brandy version that just celebrated it’s 20th anniversary with a special 20/20 reunion special.

#4: My favorite childhood game was Candy Land. I own it now as an adult and my favorite character is still Queen Frostine.

#3: One of my favorite snacks that I’m currently obsessed with is dipping pretzels in ranch dressing. Don’t knock it until you try it.

#2: This is my 4th year of blogging and my 183rd post. I’m so grateful and thankful to each and every one of you for continuing to support me in this endeavor and that you come back week after week to enjoy these words that I so very much enjoy writing for you.

#1: 2023 will be the release of another super special Mr. Sunshine project! I am still working on final details, but they are in the works…I promise! And what this will entail is going to be a HUGE undertaking not only for me, but for all of you as well and together we are going to change the world one step at a time with an extra dose of sunshine and kindness.

Cheers to 35!

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Good morning, all!

And happy Monday!

I appreciate you following along after my week off to rest my body and listen to its need for rest!

So, here we are!

Closer to the end of August and my OFFICIAL last post as a 34 year-old.

Let’s not talk about it.

YIKES.

Anyhoo, let’s get on to this week’s post!

If you are anything like me, you are always trying to go through life to find the joy, happiness, and simplicity of the things that make you both happy and smile.

So, what is the definition of joy?

Well, let’s consult Dictionary.com for the OFFICIAL definition:

Verb; a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

Now, let’s pause.

And let’s think about this definition.

Are you able to go back to this week and tell someone time that you had a feeling of great pleasure and happiness?

Well, can you???

In today’s world, it is SO important more than ever to find that moments of them, to enjoy them, and to relish in them. 

So, in this week’s post, I’m going to share some moments where I felt that JOY in hopes that you will also work hard to find that same JOY in your life.

Here are just a few things that I found JOY in this past week.

1. Seeing some guy friends that I haven’t seen in awhile and enjoying dinner and dessert at a local restaurant.
2. Watching rebooted game shows on Hulu and getting excited about the contestants winning money. Specifically, I’m talking about Press Your Luck with Elizabeth Banks.
3. Watching the Fire Island movie on Hulu and being able to not feel so distraught about my love life.
4. Family dinner.
5. Puppy cuddles with Porky.
6. Watching The Golden Girls while in a blanket of warmth.
7. Singing all the songs from Encanto as I watch it for the millionth time.
8. Coming home to find a beautiful piece of artwork involving a sunshine image purchased by my roommate that displays to the world where Sunshine Cottage is.

Well, there you have it.

The joy that I was able to find in this week.

I hope you can do the same.

Find JOY.

Enjoy it.

Relish in it.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Happy happy Monday, folks!

After what has been an almost 80 hour week between all of my jobs, my body sounded the alarm to tell me to do something for myself.

And that was taking a week off from writing for you and instead honoring my body to rest.

So…this week…honor your body.

And do something for YOU.

I’ll be back next week with an all new post!

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Happy Monday folks!

Here we are…another Monday…another August day of Summer!

Let’s get right down to business!

And I’m going to keep this week short!

In the past week, I’ve experienced multiple moments where people have mentioned to me how much they enjoy my blog.

I’ve been told by multiple sources how much they appreciate my positive energy and how much of an impact it has had on them.

How glorious that makes me feel.

It is incredibly humbling.

Truly.

And in a world where darkness is always at the forefront of life, I CRAVE positive energy and I always hope and pray that positive energy is what I give off.

Our world needs us to practice attitudes of gratitude.

And here are just a few things I’m grateful for…

1. My multiple jobs that give me a career and keep me busy and fulfilled.

2. The roof over my head that keeps me safe.

3. Friends and family that love me for who I am.

4. A roommate who is extremely hard working and helpful.

5. A church family who supports the ever changing needs of the faith community.

6. A local theater where I feel at home.

7. Love and support from all walks of life.

8. Entities that keep us cool in extreme heat.

9. Ice cream and sweeets.

10. All of YOU who support me and come back week after week to read my words.

Our world needs love.

Our world needs us to practice attitudes of gratitude.

Where is your attitude of gratitude?

Let’s be grateful together.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Hi there, folks!

Happy official first day of August!

And welcome to another Mr. Sunshine Smiles, the blog post!

To be exact, this is post #179!

I started this site back on August 28, 2018…like CRAZY!

That means I’m almost ready to celebrate 4 years of writing posts for you to read.

And seriously…truly…I can’t thank all of you enough for coming back week after week to share in these words that I absolutely writing for you to read every week.

Thanks for the constant love and support. It really does mean a lot to me, so thank you, thank you…

THANK YOU!

Well, let’s get to this week’s post…shall we?!

Summer.

Sweet Summer.

The time for sunshine, sand, waves, tan skin, soft serve ice cream, pool days, outdoor barbecues, family picnics, corn on the cob, fireworks, mini golf…

I could just keep going and going and I’m sure you could also add numerous items to this list.

Well, this week’s blog post is all about a few entities that I encourage you to checkout in these next couple weeks of Summer that I know will give you that extra punch of sunshine and energy you need when it is needed most.

The Spongebob Musical, Ephrata Performing Arts Center–August 4th-15th (varied times)
-While I will be the first to admit that I was never a fan of Spongebob Squarepants as a cartoon and never really watched in on TV ever, I am thoroughly enjoying watching the musical version that has taken over the stage at EPAC. It is impossible to not smile and laugh when watching the talented cast perform on the stage for audiences. The lights, costumes, music, sound, props, cast–everything is just so vibrant and fun that I promise you won’t be disappointed. The show runs about 2 1/2 hours and has a 15 minute intermission, but there is also a fun specialty cocktail (for both adults and children) that Jamie and I would LOVE to make you as well at the bar which is new this year! Show times are either 7:30pm and 8pm and a full schedule along with tickets can be purchased at https://epactheatre.org/

Live music with Dan Heilman, St. Paul Penryn Backyard–August 13th (7pm)
-The Backyard at St. Paul was born out an idea from Pastor Angie and some other individuals to create an outdoor space for ALL to gather and feel welcome, safe, loved, and supported. While the events this year have not been as well attended as in the past, they have been enjoyable for those that have attended and a wealth of opportunity to learn about individuals, their background, and build new relationships on the foundations of love and caring. A food truck and Mount Gretna Brewery beer will be available and all are welcome. We ask that you bring either non perishable items for our food pantry/ministry along with a lawn chair or blanket to sit out under the lights and enjoy the fellowship and music.

St. Paul Penryn Community Picnic, Penryn Picnic Grove–August 20th (4-7pm)
-One of my favorite traditions every Summer that I always look forward to is this one. And while it has changed over the years and might look a bit different, the feeling that it provides has not changed. Growing up, this was always the tradition that I looked forward to the most because it was always a special way to end the Summer season. It is always a fun time to relax in nature, enjoy some grub and dessert from the food trucks, listen to the music from The Malta Band, and enjoy the fellowship of friends and community.

Well, folks. That’s all I’ve got for you.

As we enter this Summer month of August, I hope that each and every one of you will take time to cherish the moments of Summer that you relish in and enjoy most.

And I hope that you will take some time to experience some of the three things that I’ve listed above.

Summer.

Sweet Summer.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Happy Monday, folks!

And welcome to the last Monday post of July because next week officially kicks off August!

The eighth month of the 2022 year…my birthday month…the best month basically!

But like, can we just pause for a moment and talk about how it is already the end of July??

That means tomorrow is basically Christmas.

I can’t.

Anyhoo, let’s get down to business!

I’m currently waiting for the dryer to finish the load of laundry I just completed since I was lucky enough to have a few days away with my friend Abby at Fenwick Island in Delaware.

What a cute area. Would definitely recommend it to anyone and would definitely go back in the future.

Speaking of dryers…am I the only who loves the smell of dryer sheets?

Like I love that smell.

And I also love the warmth and smell that escapes from the outside vent of the house when the dryer is running.

Ahhh.

I digress.

So sorry.

Stay with me.

Let’s talk about carousels…the classic merry-go-round.

But first, let’s start with the official definition from Disctionary.com:

-Noun: A revolving machine with model horses or other animals on which people ride for amusement.

Pretty solid definition if you ask me.

I always remember loving the carousel growing up when my family would go to Hersheypark.

It was always one of the first rides that we would see when entering the park and always had the familiar carousel music playing on repeat.

And I always–ALWAYS without fail wanted to ride a horse that went up and down. I never wanted it to be a horse that stayed stationery.

Sounds like my life.

I always want to be going up and down and never stationery.

The beauty of navigating life is just like a carousel.

As I get closer to turning 35, I often spend more time thinking about cheesy cliches that I can use to parallel with life.

And boom!

That is where I landed on the carousel.

We are all on our own journeys—our own carousel ride.

We are listening for the distinctive tune of the music to welcome us for the journey to jump on our very own novelty horse.

Where we get on and get off…nobody knows!

It is all up to us.

Will you get on a horse that goes up more often than down?

How will you defy the ups and downs of the horse you have decided to ride in life?

Recently, I was on the horse that was going up for quite some time, but found it’s way going down just a few weeks ago.

So…here I am…riding the horse once again trying to find the next up to life.

What is the horse of my career telling me?

What is the horse of my romantic relationship and dating life telling me?

What is the horse of my house telling me?

What is the horse of my soon-to-be 35th year of life telling me?

What is the horse of my five year plan telling me?

Going around and around…not knowing where it will stop…where it will go.

So. Many. Questions.

Recent Carousel Of Life Ups:

-Family dinner time and soccer game watching and cheering for Will and Mindy.

-Seeing my Aunt and Uncle for the first time in what I think was two years.

-Accompanying my Aunt Mary on piano for her French horn playing in church for the first time since the pandemic.

-Last minute getaway to Fenwick Island, DE with my friend, Abby.

-Conversations with my in-office work crew about anything and everything.

-Quality time with my friends during the little downtime I find myself having.

-Receiving messages and so much love and support from individuals—some I’ve never even met in response to last week’s post.

-Receiving a beautiful piece of original artwork done by one of the parishioners from our faith community, Wendi.

Recent Carousel Of Life Downs:

-Natural stress of work and working in the hospitality and food service industry.

-News of mass shootings and violence.

-Dating site “stuff.”

Is there a horse that is going to lead me to my very own Prince Charming just like the Disney movies tell me?!

For now, I’m trying to just ride the horse that tells me to enjoy life to the best of my ability with friends and family and to try and experience the joys and happiness that the carousel is known to provide people.

What horse are you riding?

How are you embracing your own personal carousel ride of life?

Let’s journey together and jump on the horse to see where it takes us.

Your chariot awaits.

Jump on.

The carousel music is calling.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!