Singing in the Rain

One week ago today, I returned from the Skirt! conference, motivated and so full of writing ideas that I could hardly contain myself, but I’ve been so slammed with work that I haven’t even had a second to blog – a blessing and a curse! So I definitely have some catching up to do. I have some fun blogs coming up, including, as always, tips on style, shopping, and beauty! But today, I am going to share a little story, from a moment this past week that left me really inspired. On Tuesday, after Vacation Bible School, my mom and I spent the afternoon hanging out by the pool with my two daughters and three nieces – five girls in all. It was a sweltering day, and we supervised while the girls swam. I found myself hating the oppressive heat, the smell of distant wildfires, and the general mugginess of the day. I wanted nothing more than to be inside, but the girls were so happy, splashing around and inventing games and enjoying the scorching sun. As the afternoon wore on, we saw the sky darken slightly and heard the sound of thunder. Since there was no lightning, we let them keep playing, until suddenly, the sky opened and it started to rain. The clouds passed quickly and the sun shone again, but still it continued to rain. Since I am not usually laid back enough to let my kids run amok in the rain, I knew this was a rare opportunity. It was raining, and they were already wet. So we let them stay out and play. They ran around in the rain, laughing and splashing, while it poured. After a few minutes, the rain stopped, and the girls continued swimming.
For some reason, I can’t stop thinking about the joy on the faces of all the girls as they ran and splashed and played. As adults, we so often forget to play in the rain. When things don’t go as we expect them to, we panic, hide, lash out, or retreat. Most of all, we lose faith – the faith that, if we wait it out a little while, and play, no matter what else is happening, the sun will come out again! Next time I am feeling discouraged, I am going to remember how five little girls reminded me to enjoy life, no matter what the weather.