The pacific northwest (Oregon’s Willamette Valley in particular) is known for its rain. Up to 75 inches a year according to my quick internet search. Here’s the thing – those inches come mostly in the months of October through March.
You may be thinking, that’s a LOT of rain in a six-month period and indeed it is, can someone say, “Wet dog smell!”?
Here’s the other part of it, for the other six months it’s generally AMAZING, GREEN AND GORGEOUS!
Yes, there are rainy days in those other six months, sometimes in a long row, but still, to have the lush, rich, vibrant hues of green that pervade the landscape year-round, rain doesn’t seem like much of a hardship.
I bring this up because every life, every business, every relationship has what we can call “rainy” times. Times when it’s less than ideal, less than hoped for, less than dry in this case. And when those days happen you have a couple of choices.
- Be irritated that this natural and needed event is happening.
- Put on rain gear and go splash around in it.
When you determine you don’t like the “rain” happening and decide to grouse about it, you become rain yourself. Pouring out unwanted behavior or vibes.
When you determine that “rain” is a part of life and having the rich, vibrant green world to admire because of it, you may simply accept it, and if you’re thinking well, embrace and even welcome the rainy days.
Many poets have written about how we can’t know joy without sorrow, that we wouldn’t appreciate the day if there was no night and of course I agree with them.
However, when it comes to something like “rain” as I know it, 75 inches worth in a year, six months of soppy, soggy earth and wet animals traipsing in and out of the house, I think it takes a heightened sense of awareness that this “rain” is vital to growth.
Your “rain” whatever form it takes, is vital for growth and growth is good.
Next time you have some “rain” in your life, what will you do? Grouse about it or go get your rain gear on? If you pick rain gear, please join me as I slog through, sometimes skip and oftentimes dance in the delicious downpours that are in store.