Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass

Winter has blown in with a vengeance. For a while, I was wondering where it was and when it was coming. If it was coming. The weather had been so mild; even very warm for this time of the year. But now winter is making its presence known.

Yesterday morning started out beautiful. Sunlight streaming through my blinds. Calm air. Birds chirping. I woke up with the feeling that it was going to be another picture perfect day. Lulling me to believe it would be another day like Saturday.

Within hours of the start of the beautiful morning, heavy, dark, grey and then black clouds blew in fast and fierce instantly taking the light out of the day replacing it with grey. Then the rain came down in torrents. Hard, pounding rain. The kind that soaks through everything in seconds. And with it came the north wind. The unforgiving and chilly north wind. Announcing to us winter had finally come.Bringing with it the haunting howling sound of winter wind.

As I watched the weather change without warning, I knew I was witnessing how quickly life can change. One minute there is sunshine and calm. The next there is heavy rain and storm. Asking me not to take for granted the calm in my life when it is there.

Taking me back to a sign I had seen on Saturday and for some reason had stuck with me. “Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” As if it was preparing me for the changing weather that was about to come.

The weather to let me know even when all around me looks murky and stormy; so much so my vision becomes blinded by the fog that I feel I can’t see through to the other side, in all things there is something to be grateful for. No matter how bad my day may seem, there is always something or someone somewhere experiencing something far worse than what I am experiencing.

In all things, times and places, there is always something to rejoice about and when we do we will see just how temperamental life can be. Sunny one minute, rainy the next but in each instance we are here to experience what is right in front of us with gratitude and grace.

Here’s to a stormy, rainy start to the week. Remembering the people that have experienced far worse weather than we are experiencing on this Monday morning. Sending out prayers to the people of the Philippines still trying to put their lives back together again after Typhoon Haiyan. And to the people of the United States being blanketed with a winter storm. Europe facing one of the coldest and harshest winters yet. 

When I look around the world at the trials of weather my brothers and sisters are facing, I can only be grateful for the winter weather we are finally experiencing because it could be a lot worse.  The howling north wind, the heavy rain, the darkness of the day are blessings I am still here to experience. And in comparison are very mild winter signs than what a large percentage of the world is facing right now.

Here’s to having the ability to learn to dance in the rain and find pleasure in doing so rather than waiting for the storm to pass and only seeing the gloom. Rather than waiting for the sun to shine again, enjoying the weather as it is meant to be. As my life is meant to be. Heavy rain and howling wind and all just as it is meant to be. Namaste.