Last year I bought a soft, pale-yellow sweatshirt with words inscribed, “Here Comes The Sun,” in pastel lettering. I bought it partly because it was my favorite color and partly because I like the George Harrison song of the same name. The song is upbeat and positive, so wearing this sweatshirt is a reminder to do the same. Most days that I wear it, it brightens my disposition.

Last week I wore it to my aunt’s house. She is an elderly woman of 95 years old who mostly has a sunny disposition and used to make me feel uplifted on most visits. But she’s now hired me to come over weekly to do some work around her apartment, laundry, cleaning, etc., that she’s no longer able to do. It’s not very hard work, but there are times when I just don’t feel like it. I want to help her out, so I do it anyway. Seems as I grow older life is boiling down to doing menial chores, and I just get tired of the mundane.

Lately, health issues and loneliness have worn my aunt down. At times she is crotchety and persnickety, which is not uncommon in older people. I find myself biting my tongue as my patience dwindles. I try to cheer her up and ignore things that annoy me. I know she doesn’t mean anything by it. But sometimes it morphs into my mood.

This one day that I wore this sweatshirt, I was not feeling particularly bright and cheery. I walked in and she complimented me on what a pretty sweatshirt it was. I remarked, “Well, I don’t feel very sunny today. In fact, I feel like doom and gloom.” She laughed off my comment with a twinkle in her still beautiful blue eyes and said, “You’ll always be my sunshine.” And with that my mood changed and became instantly sunnier.

Thought for today: Always keep your sunny side up.