It’s been a rainy week in Charlotte, hasn’t it? And the forecast is calling for more rain this weekend!
So, let’s check in on this. How are you feeling? Disappointed at the lack of sun? Perturbed that you’re being robbed of warm spring days? Annoyed that you need to find your Vitamin D somewhere else?
You wouldn’t be alone. Many of us prefer the clear skies over the gray ones, and the dry weather to the wet stuff. But I’d like to offer another perspective. What if a rainy day was the new sunny day?
Huh? No, I haven’t lost my marbles.
I guess what I mean is: what if we flipped what’s predictable on its head? Sure, it’s easy to wake up on a rainy morning, peer out the window, and say, “Ugh. What a yucky day!” Left on autopilot, most of us would react that way. It’s kind of how we’re wired.
But what if we woke up on that rainy day, peered out the window, and said, “Rain! Yippee! Maybe I’ll see a rainbow today!”
This is the beauty of life, after all. The ups and the downs. The happy and the sad. The tough times and the easy moments. We can’t fully appreciate one without fully experiencing the other.
Plus, what a gift to be here in the first place to experience this one-time-only-never-to-be-repeated-in-the-history-of-time rain shower. The alternative is…well…you know, not being here.
And let’s bring this on home for a moment. Dementia can be sad. Really sad. And caregiving is hard stuff. Really hard. But gaze hard enough through the falling raindrops and you just might catch a glimpse of a rainbow. It might come in the colorful form of a dear friend, a helpful family member, a manicure, a milkshake, a beautiful piece of art, a favorite song, a good cry, the overheard innocent words of a child, or a whiff of fresh bread baking next door. It might be a moment of obvious happiness and clarity from your loved one – something that gives you the feeling that he or she is understanding and enjoying that moment. Regardless, if we are open to receiving them, joy and blessings dance around the trials and tribulations of life.
Perhaps I’ll catch you out there dancing in the rain this weekend!
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