August 19, 2019: Dancing In The Rain
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”Vivian Greene
After a busy show this past weekend in Machias Maine, we awoke to a gray, rainy day. We have company coming to visit for the week and out of curiosity, I checked to see what the forecast would be. It was typical New England weather with a mixed bag of rain and sun. But what struck my attention, was the description of “partly cloudy”. Why couldn’t they describe it as partly sunny? It seems as if the focus of the meteorologists is on the clouds, not the sunshine that peeks through and brightens up a day. Pessimism, whether it’s the weather forecasters or broadcasters seems to be the prevailing winds of the news media.
I’ve always been an optimist and learned by example from my parents. When I was a child, my mother described herself as an optimist. When I asked her what that was, she explained “it was someone who when presented with a barn full of manure, asked for a shovel…….there had to be a pony in there someplace.“ Her simple description paved my life pattern of looking for the good in others as well as life’s events.
My 99 1/2 year old step-dad, Al Binder, has always been an optimist too. Instead of complaining about his aches, pains or increasing blindness, he will tell you that every day he wakes up and has a brand new day, it’s a great one!”. He also has advised me about the power of being positive and how it’s been his philosophy throughout his long life. , This philosophy is heralded now in the words of new age sages and spiritual advisors. If you send out positive energy, thoughts and vibes, it will come back to you.
When life throws us curve balls with dismaying, frustrating or tragic repercussions, keeping a positive attitude can be a challenge. But if we choose to focus on the small blessings that enlighten our life, or seek the light peeking through the clouds, we can actively make a decision to either complain about the misery of rain, or dance with delight through the puddles.
Dancing In The Rain Artwork by Fiber Artist, Cathy Shamel