With spring right around the corner I expect to see many forecasted rainy days in the near future.
When the weather has been consistently good, I often find myself hopeful for a rainy day that splits it up. On the sunny days there is so much to do. I’m constantly reminded of all of the ways I should be making the best of my day. Whether it’s going for a walk or seeing my friends, I have an urge to be productive. The streets are filled with bikers and joggers and dogs and strollers. Parks are packed with kids and soccer balls and people watchers. There is so much joy in sunny days and for that I am grateful but in the midst of all that joy and activity there is also a deep need for the rainy ones too.
When the sun doesn’t have the chance to wake me up by shining through my window because it is hidden by the clouds, and instead I hear pattering against the roof and wind raking the leaves of the trees, maybe even a little rumble of thunder, I am relieved that upon me is a rainy day. And I take a deep breath, and smile.
The thing that makes rainy days so sweet is that unlike perfectly sunny days, they don’t expect anything of you. Rainy days are quiet. The streets are not filled with bikers and joggers and dogs and strollers. Parks are not packed with kids and soccer balls and people watchers. It is quiet outside. They give us permission to slow down. Suddenly, I’m not in such a hurry to get ready. I choose a comfier outfit; something loose and warm like a big sweatshirt. I sit in front of the window and watch for a while without feeling like I’m missing out for not hurrying outside.
Rainy days give space for introspection. I often find more time to reflect on the highs and lows of life recently. I love to pull out my journal and pour my thoughts onto its pages. I find that rainy days bring with it an emotional cleansing. If I haven’t cried in a while the sky does it for me. And sometimes we can cry together. It is like a release of everything that has built up either knowingly or unknowingly weighing on my shoulders. And the rain is a reminder to be emotional. There is comfort in knowing that it’s okay if this day is really bad.
So just as the earth needs both sunshine and rain, so do we. Brightness calls us outwards but rain draws us in, teaching us to be still and allowing us to rest.