Rainy days can be looked upon as dreary dark days, not at all appealing, but they can become the break needed in life if you have an open heart. It was this Tuesday morning that I woke to the steady beat of the rain and a damp chill to the air. At first this was disheartening but then the Slice of Life challenge reminder popped up on my email. I decided to use my time wisely and despite the weather turn a dreary day into a welcoming one. To engage in some SOL Time I created a plan with three steps. Step 1: Contemplate the beat of the rain, feel its cool ping, and hear the accompanying sounds of the wind. Step 2: Use the time productively to continue reorganization tasks that would allow time to contemplate. Step 3: Reflect and write.
Do you remember the favorite childhood chant, "Rain, rain go away. Come back another day?" While most Long Islanders who had been enticed by bright, sunny days and warm weather this past weekend, complained about the shifting weather, my spirits were not dampened by the rain. I enjoyed this quiet time. Phones didn't ring and emails were not as plentiful as on other days. The rain brought a break from normal routine, for me. Its steady stream provided a time to leisurely work on household tasks and prepare for Easter.
While the beat of the rain provided a musical interlude, I began the tradition of carefully unwrapping precious, springtime family treasures. A story unfolded. A china egg, a palm cross, and an Easter bunny, heart prints of the past, recalled Easters when my children were young and my mother alive. I graced the mantle with these items as the rain drops persisted. The Easter lily plant trying to pop its flowers in time for Easter Sunday, was watered and placed in the foyer. The brightly-colored, collectable Easter eggs I found stored in green grass recalled lively egg hunts orchestrated by Mr. Bunny. While many of the decorations were set in places of honor, some were left for another year, another memory.
After closing the plastic-sealed bags of Easter treasures, I thanked Mother Nature for its gentle gift of rain. Today's rain provided me with the time to collect my thoughts and recollect so the next time you consider weather to be a nuisance or a disrupter, think about its positives. I did and I am ending my day happier than I thought it would be. Because I am hosting April Awakenings, a literary event that blends digital photography with poetic expressions, I penned this piece of writing about today's rain.
While the beat of the rain provided a musical interlude, I began the tradition of carefully unwrapping precious, springtime family treasures. A story unfolded. A china egg, a palm cross, and an Easter bunny, heart prints of the past, recalled Easters when my children were young and my mother alive. I graced the mantle with these items as the rain drops persisted. The Easter lily plant trying to pop its flowers in time for Easter Sunday, was watered and placed in the foyer. The brightly-colored, collectable Easter eggs I found stored in green grass recalled lively egg hunts orchestrated by Mr. Bunny. While many of the decorations were set in places of honor, some were left for another year, another memory.
After closing the plastic-sealed bags of Easter treasures, I thanked Mother Nature for its gentle gift of rain. Today's rain provided me with the time to collect my thoughts and recollect so the next time you consider weather to be a nuisance or a disrupter, think about its positives. I did and I am ending my day happier than I thought it would be. Because I am hosting April Awakenings, a literary event that blends digital photography with poetic expressions, I penned this piece of writing about today's rain.
Rain, garbed in gray,
awakened spring's senses
and
and
freshened the ground for rebirth.
It interrupted routine
and
allowed time
to sit back and reflect.
Rain paraded in the streets
today
as the harbinger of spring,
not the recollector of winter,
welcoming life
to rejoice,
not weep.
to rejoice,
not weep.
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