Categories: uncategorized
Date: 12 May 2010 12:04:48
I just had an idea - what to do with all those quotes from the other day? I'll take them, one by one...and share what they mean to me.
[see here for complete list]
#1
"Smile when it rains, for any fool may do so when the sun shines"
For whatever reason, I was looking at an aunt or uncle's yearbook when I was about... 12 or 14 or something. Someone had this quotation next his senior year photo.
And I thought "wow".
It made quite an impression on me...
I have (since?) always loved the rain.
When most people were sad/angry/upset/complaining when it rained, I chose to be happy/thrilled/contented with the rain - the water from the sky that nourishes our plants, washes the earth, and brings life.
The rain also brings destruction. Devastation. Flooding.
...but in those acts of breaking down and destroying, newness emerges -eventually. New chapters are written for impacted lives. New structures are built. Everything changes, both good and the bad.
It has generalized to other areas of my life, too.
When there are two lines at the grocery store, one a little bit shorter than the other... I choose the longer one. Why? Because in this fast-paced world, it's ok to wait. It's ok to not have things go perfectly. It's ok to let someone else get into a shorter line/queue.
When tough work needs to be done, I say "bring it on" because I smile when it rains... I'm thankful for the opportunity for employment. Bring.It.On.
And when there's sadness in my heart, or when my eyes are filled with tears, I smile, because I have hope this lesson will be learned. Because I will become stronger. Because the day will come when this hurt does not pain me anymore... I've experienced it.
...because I smile when it rains.