Cloud Pictures

Remember back to when you were a kid? What was one of your favorite things to do on a nice warm day? Mine was to lay in the grass in a shady spot and look up at the sky. I would try to see how many different animals, vehicles, buildings, plants, people, or creatures I could make out of the different cloud shapes. I had quite the imagination, so that could entertain me for hours!

I also found it fun to do that with a friend laying beside me. It would amaze me how we could both look at the very same cloud, and while I would see a profile of Abraham Lincoln, she would see a dinosaur. And no matter how hard we tried, neither of us could see what the other one saw. I also remember how good I felt after watching the clouds.

Recently I took a few minutes to lay in our hammock and look up at the clouds. Guess what...it was still fun. It was still relaxing, and it still was a great stress reliever. For a few moments I saw ponies, dumptrucks, unicorns and fish, and forgot all about the phone bill that was due, or the groceries I needed to buy, or the laundry that needed to be done. For a few moments it was peaceful and calm....and childlike. It was a great feeling.

I have promised myself to do this routinely to keep that wonderful feeling going as much as possible. I recommend you try this if you haven't recently. You really will be glad you did.

Do you have any favorite things you enjoy to reduce your stress?