You Are the Light (And the Sun Is Just Catching Up)

Let me tell you something. If little girl me could see grown woman me right now, waking up early on purpose, wrapped in a blanket, watching the sunrise with gratitude and no complaints, she’d gasp. Loud. Horrified. Why? Because once upon a time, me and the Sun were not on speaking terms. At all.

Me vs. The Sun: The Early Years

Picture it: early mornings, blinds flying open like we were living in some kind of surprise home makeover show. My mama, in full mission mode, would fling those blinds back like she was unveiling a masterpiece at a grand gallery. Sunlight pouring in like it paid rent. And me? I was losing it. Every. Single. Time.

“Mom! Close the blinds! It’s TOO BRIGHT!” I would hiss like a baby vampire, shielding my face as if the sunlight was plotting against me personally. My friends even joked that I was probably allergic to the Sun. And the way I used to dodge direct sunlight? They weren’t wrong for thinking it.

And listen, it wasn’t about heat or sunburns. Not even about being diagnosed with Lupus years later (which does mean I’m mindful of overexposure now). It was something deeper.

Back then, the Sun felt like pressure. It rose, and suddenly I was supposed to be on. Productive. Busy. Moving.And as a high-energy, always-doing-something kid? That was exhausting.The Sun meant go mode, and I wasn’t ready. (And sidebar: as a Leo, literally ruled by the Sun, you’d think I would’ve been basking in it. Nope. I was out here running from my own planetary ruler. Make it make sense.)

How the Tables Have Turned...

Fast forward to today?I chase the sunrise.I wrap myself up, step outside, and sit with it. No phone. No distractions. No rush. Just gratitude. I make it a point to watch the Sun rise at least twice a week, sometimes more. And not from behind a window, but outside, in real time, in full presence.

And it has transformed me.

There’s something about watching the Sun rise slowly that reminds me: You’re allowed to rise gently. You don’t have to force it. You don’t have to be busy to be valuable. You get to just be.And I thank God every time for that revelation.

Vitamin D: The Glow-Up Nobody Talks About Enough

Here’s the thing.Vitamin D? It’s the Glow-Up nutrient that needs its flowers.I used to think constant fatigue was just... life.Sis, no. Turns out I just needed some Sun therapy.And once I started soaking up more natural light, everything shifted:My mood? Elevated. My focus? Sharper. My creativity? On a whole new level.

The wild part? Even on gray, gloomy days, I feel grounded. Aligned. Energized. Because I’ve been storing joy. Banking it. I don’t need to see the Sun to know it’s there.(If that’s not a metaphor for life, I don’t know what is.)

The Old Me Waited. The New Me Creates.

I’ll be real with you, there was a time I waited for the perfect conditions to feel good.Everything had to line up before I let myself be happy. Now? I fill my own cup. I water my own garden. I cultivate my own sunshine. No season, no circumstance dictates whether I rise. And that’s the glow-up.

It took me almost 10 years to get here. And at nearly 50, I’m standing in a space of deep peace and higher perspective. A way of being that flows, that moves, that rises, regardless.

For My Fellow Blinds-Closed-Vampires...

If you’re still out here closing the blinds like the Sun personally offended you? I get it.But maybe… just maybe… crack them open.Because the Sun isn’t just warmth. It’s energy. It’s clarity. It’s life.

And when you learn how to store joy, even on cloudy days, you’ll keep shining.

Mama, You Were Onto Something.

Mom?You were right. I get it now.

And to little me, the one ducking the sunlight like a houseplant that prefers the shade?Surprise, love. You are the light.The Sun? It’s just reflecting what’s already in you.

Embrace Your Inner Sunlight

This is your reminder. You don’t wait for light. You be the light.Shine from within.Glow, even in the shade.Because the true glow-up? It’s not external. It’s not conditional. It’s not seasonal. It’s you.And you can rise, gently, powerfully, intentionally, every single day.

Rise. Shine. Transform.

Let the Sun be your mirror.Rise slow if you need to. Shine bright because you are.

And when you’re ready? Step into your own light.Because, beloved, you’ve been the glow-up all along.Let’s shine on.

With Love, Light and a whole lot of faith,

-Yahminah