Who Needs Whimsy?

Do you know the true meaning of whimsy and whimsical? I'll admit that I thought I did. But, to be sure, I paid a visit to my pal dictionary.com and his pal thesaurus.com.

There I verified and/or learned that whimsy means fanciful and whimsical means lightly fanciful.

Additionally, whimsy means playfulness. Whimsy also means amusing, comical and mischievous.

So, I ask again, who needs whimsy, or more whimsy, in their life? In my honest opinion, we ALL do!

"You must not ever stop being whimsical. And you must not, ever, give anyone else the responsibility for you life." Mary Oliver, Wild Geese.

"Do you know a better time than the present for igniting your dreams?" Carolyn Tody, Author and Artist, A Whimsical Holiday for Children.

When I think of whimsical, I think of clouds. If you have ever taken the time to look up and just watch the clouds, you have seen dozens, no thousands, of interesting shapes, sizes, and colors of clouds floating by.

One of my favorite exercises for my imagination is to search the clouds for shapes, such as dogs, cats, cartoonish characters, and more!

"Clouds are the Billboard of Coming Attractions." cloudman.com.

I have always been a dreamer. Clouds are one of the best sources to center those dreams (at least the daydreams) on.

Merriam-Webster states, "Daydreaming is a pleasant visionary usually wishful creation of the imagination.

Indeed, to even see what the clouds are trying to show us, we must open our eyes, imaginations, and hearts to see them.

But, is daydreaming or dreaming important to us, to our careers, or even our well-being?

"...psychological research is beginning to reveal that daydreaming is a strong indicator of an active and well-equipped brain." The Benefits of Daydream," by Joseph Stromberg.

So, it appears that I am on target when I claim that daydreaming actually feeds my imagination and my creative side.

I also believe it enables us to disconnect from life stressors which allows our brain the time to relax, refresh, and recharge.

Stromberg addresses that, too. "Surprisingly, there was a correlation between mind wandering during the first task and high scores on the working memory test. The participants who more frequently daydreamed were actually better at remembering the series of letters when distracted by the math problems compared to those whose minds were less prone to wandering."

Let's not stop yet though. Clouds are actually quite powerful. If you have ever watched the sun rise or set, without doubt, you have seen a truly miraculous and beautiful event. And, brought to you by clouds.

Don't believe me? Next time you see a cloudless sunrise or sunset, mark it. While still something worth witnessing, it won't take your breath away.

How about a cloudbow? Ever seen one? I finally saw one just this past year. And, there are a couple of photos of this right below. Check them out!

Perhaps, best of all, clouds are a preview of the weather for tomorrow, or the next few days. Think, "Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailor's warning." This ole sailor truly believes in this old adage.

Clouds, we see them everyday. But, do we SEE them through the eyes of our heart? Not always! Starting today, make it a point to do some cloud gazing. Embrace it as the whimsical event it can be!

I can't, of course, speak for anyone else, but, I am going to take a break now, lay down on the grass and watch the clouds go by. Catch y'all later!