The sun has been shining in our sky for many, many, many years.  It isn’t going to swallow up the Earth any time soon, or blow up in a million little pieces.  The sun is our friend – it helps plants grow, provides us with light and heat, and is the center of our universe.  Without it we wouldn’t survive.  Why is it then that so many of us are so afraid of it?  Constantly covering ourselves from its rays?

While I was at the pediatrician the other day with my 3 month old, he suggested to look into giving her some supplements – mainly vitamin D.  Because I am solely breastfeeding, he asked me to consider giving her some extra D or mix it up with some formula every once in awhile to help balance her out.  I didn’t really think much about it at the time, but did some research when I got home.  Vitamin D comes from the SUN!  The SUN helps our body to produce vitamin D.  When our skin is exposed to the SUN we create vitamin D, which regulates our organs, calcium, and phosphorous in our body.  Instead of putting through the order I was going to make for infant vitamin D drops, I dragged my wee one OUTSIDE  - outside is where the SUN is.

I didn’t cover her with layers and layers of sun block.  I did the unbelievable and sat with her for 5-10 minutes in full SUN in the middle of the day.  She didn’t burn up, her skin didn’t peel off, in fact – she turned her face to the sun and smiled.  I tossed my head back and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on my face and didn’t give a thought to anything other than how great the sun is.

Here’s the deal, I am fully aware that the sun is potentially harmful and lengthy sun exposure can lead to a multitude of negative things such as skin cancer.  I am not encouraging anyone to spend hours and hours basking in the sun without protection – but I am telling you to give your skin a break and expose it to the SUN!  Don’t layer on the sun block, don’t wear a hat; let your skin have some full access time with the sun.  Spend about 15 minutes or so in full sunlight a couple days a week.  You might be surprised at how it makes you feel!

I know there are some sun haters out there – some of you are my friends and I just turn away during your sun tirades.  I let you cover yourself constantly whenever there might be a moment of sun exposure and hide under shade at all times while at the beach or outdoors.  Sometimes you try to push your sun hating thoughts onto me – pushing sun block towards me, mentioning how tan I am, but I stay my sun loving course.  I don’t try to push you to do something you aren’t comfortable with.

At least think of this – when you are covering yourself constantly in sun block or self- tanners, you are exposing yourself to chemicals.  That’s okay by me, but don’t you want to be bad and get just a little sun?  The sun is our friend if used correctly.

I grew up during the time that sun block was SPF 4 and it was Hawaiian Tropic.  I know my skin has been exposed to the sun way too much in my past and that I will have a multitude of wrinkles later in life.  I – as stated earlier – am also fully aware of the skin cancer risk, but I still can’t stay away.  I love the SUN and the SUN loves me.  Instead of providing my wee baby with vitamin D drops, she will be spending small amounts of time out in nature getting some naturally.