Thanks to the day brighteners

I planned a cool start for my first day of being 52-years old — a sunrise jog with a brand new pair of shoes and some new running apparel.

But, I’m me, and I lollygagged a bit before I set off, and missed the sunrise altogether. Then a stiff wind hit me on both the out and back of my run. (How is that even possible?) My brand new running bra was both too big and too short, which, if you think about it for the one fleeting moment I’ll allow, is pretty depressing, AND the elastic stretched on my vintage sweats so I had to stop every block or two and give them a yank.

I felt crankiness encroaching and then I stumbled onto my favorite sign of spring — a sidewalk drawing of a hopscotch course. Of course, I had to play.

My mood lifted with every hop.

I jogged ahead and stumbled across another series of chalk drawings. “Draw your own paradise island,” one said.

What a world, right? With nothing more than a cheap set of chalk and a clear strip of cement, you can draw your own paradise.

Someday I hope to be the world famous curator of a virtual chalk art gallery. I love the simplicity and ephemeral nature of chalk drawings. I love the seize-the-happy-moment messages they convey and their universal appeal.

Sidewalk artists rarely sign their work. They aren’t looking for compensation or recognition. Most of them just enjoy the process of making sweet pictures under a sunny sky, even though they’ll only last until the next rain falls.

In case you’re having the kind of morning I did yesterday, I’m sharing a few pictures of the sidewalk art I’ve run across.

Hope they brighten your day.