I loved the rain as a kid. Everything about it. There was something so liberating about letting raindrops fall on my skin, and the scent of rain that lingered in the air afterwards was refreshing. Not to mention the puddles of water to jump over and playing with the bugs that surfaced. Yeah, I was that kid.
My friends and I never let a little rain spoil our plans for fun. We didn’t mind getting wet; we found ways to still have a good time despite the rain. I remember us competing to see who could jump over the biggest puddles. Ah, good ol’ days…
As I got older, I began to despise the rain. I was no longer crazy about bugs and had other priorities, like looking cute and keeping my hair and clothes dry. All the time and effort I put towards getting myself together only to have some rain ruin it? I so wasn’t here for it.
How could something I enjoyed in one season loath me in another?
I challenged myself on this one afternoon years ago as I watched the rain fall gently outside from my cozy couch in my living room. It’s not that I hated the rain. I didn’t mind it as long as I wasn’t in it. The truth is that I had allowed the inconvenience of the rain to overshadow the blessing of it. And yet there was a solution. If I took measures to prepare myself adequately for the rain, weathering it wouldn’t be such a dread.
When I look back on some of the rainy seasons in my life, I realize that I was so frazzled at the time because I focused more on the inconvenience of the adversity instead of appreciating the growth that came from it.
In order to enjoy a red, juicy apple the rain must fall in the spring. Similarly, in order for me to reap the benefit of ripened fruit in my life, I have to weather my rain and focus on the positive.
I have no control over my rain. How much will fall and for how long is out of my hands. I don’t have control over the way people treat me or what situations pop up unexpectedly in my life. All I can control is how I prepare and respond to my rain. I have to do more than just endure my rain. I’ve got to learn to love it because with the rain comes a rainbow of promise.
Vimbai E. is a content marketer, ghostwriter, and the founder of The Weight She Carries. With hundreds of articles and stories publishing online, in print and for broadcast, her love of language and storytelling shines through every piece of writing that bears her name.