Appreciation for the Rain

When we moved to the NC Coast last year, we had a quick realization that one cannot depend too greatly on the weather forecast. The locals tell us that the unexpected rain that occurs a lot of days comes from the ocean, and is often unpredictable by radar and weather forecasters. It is not uncommon to have a sunny day, with a rain shower to appear out of nowhere, and leave before you have even run inside to avoid it.

Avoiding the rain…that is something that needs to be addressed. Recently, I (Shannon) started reading a great deal of mindfulness books, books about your inner voice, and learning to appreciate the things that surround me in life. One that resonates is The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. It changed the entire way I think and talk to myself. Singer points out so many things that should be obvious, but become “a-ha moments” when you read them. For example, the rain.

Why in the world do we avoid the rain as if it is going to melt us into a pile of mush? I am one who often proclaims about how “I am so sweet that I may melt if the rain touches me”, but things change. Not the sweetness of course, but realizing that I won’t be harmed in a negative way if the rain touches me. It’s truly ridiculous, when I say it out loud. Singer points out that by avoiding the rain, we miss this wonderful piece of nature that is here to nourish so many things, including us. We spend so much time worrying about what the rain will  ruin, or interrupt, that we don’t appreciate it when it comes around.

‘If you spend your time hoping that it doesn’t rain tomorrow, you are wasting your time. Your thoughts don’t change the rain. You will someday come to see that there is no use for that incessant internal chatter, and there is no reason to constantly attempt to figure everything out. Eventually you will see that the real cause of problems is not life itself. It’s the commotion the mind makes about life that really causes problems.” -Michael Singer, The Untethered Soul

Yesterday, Gerry and I were walking out of the grocery store when a giant rainstorm came through. As we walked into the foyer of the store, attempting to exit, all of these people stopped, just looking at the rain, complaining, and saying they were going to wait it out. I looked at Ger and said, “let’s just go and enjoy it! It will be refreshing and will cool us down” (it was a 90 degree day by the way). We walked…no running…walked to our car, in the pouring rain, with our groceries, and it was amazing! We got into the car, soaked, laughing about how exhilarating it was! When we got into the car, we looked back to the store entrance/exit at all of the people just standing there. I hoped that by seeing we escaped the rain unharmed, even enjoying ourselves, that it would inspire the others to do the same, but sadly, it did not. Oh well…

As I write this, the rain is falling outside. It is a Sunday morning, and it is wonderful. We had plans to play tennis this morning, but that is okay. Instead, we had an extra cup of coffee, and are sitting in our comfy bed with Betty White, enjoying the sounds of the rain on our tiny house.

We reflect on times we have enjoyed the rain- a rainy Sunday morning in Philly, where we found ourselves in a rainstorm, walked into the first diner we saw, and sat at the counter while Frank Sinatra played in the background. This is where Gerry told me the story of my now fave musician, Melody Gardot, and how she was once hit by a car while riding her bike in Philly, and overcame so much to become the beautiful, wonderful musician that she is. Often, on Sunday mornings, I put on the Melody Gardot station on Pandora, and am at complete contentment. This rainy Sunday, Melody Gardot sings to us about the rain. Once you learn to appreciate the rain, you begin to find other things in nature, in life, and begin to appreciate those, too.