Sunday Sunshine: Look to the Rainbows

There are days when it seems as if the old adage of “when it rains, it pours” is so true that there aren’t enough umbrellas and galoshes to protect you from the deluge.

Don’t allow yourself to get swallowed up by the storms in your life. Redirect your focus to rise above the rain. Reach for the rainbows.

When you dedicate energy to seeking the good and seeing the possibilities in each difficult situation, the hold that those sorrows and fears have over you is lessened. It’s easier to flow through the experience until you can see the sunshine again.

Life will have its way of giving us rain every now and again, but don’t dwell there. Seek the light. Be the light. Look to the rainbows.

Today, this week: Reach for the rainbows and they will be there for you.

Renewing, Refreshing Walking in the Rain

     I love to walk in the rain. A gentle rain offers time for walking in solitude, quiet and reflection. So long as it isn't storming, walking in the rain can be restorative, healing and even enjoyable.
     It's a good thing that my husband Larry and I are drip-dry. On the second of our two walks one summer day, the sky became restless and we encountered a thunderstorm while on a local river walk. We tested our agility and speed, and dashed through the raindrops to the shelter of a building overhang until the storm passed. We stood in the protection of that dry spot for several minutes and watched the sky in all of its magnificence. Neither one of us minded being damp. We knew we'd eventually dry off. There was something lovely about just having to stand still, shoulder to shoulder, and watch for signs from the sky.
     The storm rumbled and moved quickly overhead, with sunny skies rapidly behind it. Once the rain stopped, we set out again to finish our walk. As we headed eastward, the sun touching our shoulders and the birds erupting into song, we breathed in the fresh scents of recent rain and walked toward a rainbow.
     That summer day's experience represented a metaphor for life: We will all encounter storms, some of which will be just gentle rain and others cataclysmic events with hail and lightning. We may choose to move quickly, to seek shelter, to wait it out. At other times, we might get wet. If we look at the storm as a fact of life and choose to live in the moment with gratitude, eventually the storm will pass. When it does, we will once again find the sunshine on our shoulder, the birds singing, the air fresh and new, and a rainbow overhead guiding us on.

Soaked to the Skin

It takes a lot to get me to forgo a walk at Devil's Lake, so I urged Larry to get up from his Saturday afternoon nap recently to join me for our daily constitutional.  The sky was overcast. It had been raining off and on throughout the day. However, it didn't look too threatening, so we ventured out.  We were about halfway through our walk when I enthusiastically commented that it looked as if we were going to get by unscathed.  It was just at that moment that the skies let loose and it started to drizzle.  Soon, it was raining a little heavier and then it started to pour.  Larry and I picked up our pace, but the rain was quickly outpacing us.  By the time we reached a shelter to stand under for a bit, we were soaked to the skin.  I forgot how heavy blue jeans can weigh when wet.  It was an effort just to pick up my legs.  By the time we got to the car, we were pretty much sopping wet.  Larry wrung out his t-shirt next to the car and it was as if he'd taken a bath in it.  Trying not to be a Pollyanna, I made the comment that rainwater is likely good for our skin and hair.  Not saying a word, Larry used his expressive eyebrows to show that he questioned my wisdom. Life can't always be sunshine and blue, cloudless skies.  Being caught in a downpour isn't such a bad thing, especially when you share it with someone you love.

Back by Popular Demand: Rain

Today, I'm not only celebrating my 200th Time to Be blog post, I'm celebrating the first rainstorm in I don't know when.  Our dry, arid countryside received a great gift of an honest-to-goodness storm last night -- real, serious rain with dashes of thunder and lightning.  It had been so long since I'd felt rain on my skin or heard it slashing against the windows that I stood in awe.  And I was not alone.  Facebook was filled with posts from ecstatic souls celebrating the return of rain, back by popular demand.  We take so many things for granted, including our verdant Wisconsin landscape, rainstorms and water tables that are usually on the abundant side.  Recently, there've been bans on outdoor cigarette smoking and talk about the pressing need to conserve water.  While no one wants to see our farms suffer as they have this summer, one possible blessing hidden in all of this severe drought may be that many of us who are used to having so much have now discovered a newfound appreciation for our water supply.  Rain, Glorious Rain.  Back by popular demand. What a wonderful thing to celebrate today!

Singing' in the Rain

I was singin' in the rain today -- not Gene Kelly style, but with a group of sopping wet, though jolly carolers attempting to add to the festive atmosphere of our local downtown's holiday shopping experience.  It was an unseasonably warm 50 degrees and drizzling (sometimes out and out raining) -- not our typical late-November Wisconsin weather.  But, with Santa hats and umbrellas, we sang the likes of "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" and "Jingle Bells" anyway.  Music and memories are so integral to Christmas that it can be difficult to separate one from another.  Not surprisingly, it's harder for me to get into the merriment this season, having just experienced the loss of my beloved mom in September.  Perhaps "Singin' in the Rain" is an apt description of my Christmas experience this year.  I'll admittedly be in kind of a rainy state of grieving but I'll welcome a little fa-la-la mixed in.  For, as the song goes, "We need a little Christmas...right this very minute."  I know that I do.  Perhaps more than ever.