Ain't No Sunshine

I graduated high school in the early 70s. That dates me pretty severely I know. In 1971 an R & B artist, named Bill Withers, from West Virginia came on the scene. His first album entitled Just As I Am won him a Grammy. You probably know him for his most famous song, Lean on Me. It has been covered by at least a dozen bands since. The song that won a Grammy in 1971 was called Ain’t No Sunshine. It is an R & B ballad about a man’s lament on the absence of his sweetheart.

We have all felt that have we not? Someone we really missed is not with us, and it feels like there literally is “no sunshine.”

For those of us who live in Pittsburgh, the song carries an entirely different meaning. It will come as no surprise to you to hear that Pittsburgh rates near the bottom of the list of US cities in number of hours of sunshine per year. (Google it for yourself.)

Today is February 28th. This lack of sunshine, coupled with the cold and snowy condition of Pittsburgh creates some very unique emotional situations in the city. By the time we get to February, the number of cases of depression increase dramatically. (Ask any counselor.) The clinical name is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It is a form of depression linked to autumn and winter time when sunshine hours are shorter. Symptoms include low mood, weight gain, food cravings for carbohydrates and sleeping more. SAD is believed to be caused by changes in serotonin levels in the brain. Some just call it the “winter blues.”

I have a counselor friend who told me that it was a revelation for his wife when he pointed out to her that he felt this was a disorder she struggled with. I have at least one close personal friend and two family members that I think struggle with this same issue. To be perfectly honest, I think it can affect all of us to one level or another.

I am not a counselor. I do Pastoral counseling on issues where I feel qualified and quickly refer out when I do not. So, that makes this a unique blog. Let me ask you quite pointedly. On this last day of February . . . is this an issue with which you struggle? If it is, when God grants us some sunny days, as he did in Pittsburgh this weekend, get out in them. Open the blinds; let the sun shine in!!

If you need to visit a professional counselor, by all means do so. If I were to break my arm, and pretend it was no big deal while refusing to see an MD, you would not call me a hero, or a really tough guy. You would call me an idiot. So, why do we feel the need to avoid an MD when it comes to our emotional health? If you need professional help, please get it. If you simply need to get in the sunshine when it is available, then get in it!!

By all means, let the sun shine in. Oh and while you are at it, the Son of God would like to shine in as well. Let Him in too!