Rainfall

“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.”
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

     In case you’ve somehow missed it, we’ve had a lot of rain recently. Although I knew the rain was good for the plants in the greenhouse, I was not pleased with the amount of water coming out of the sky. Especially since I went out to weed in what I thought would be a window of clear skies, only to get rained on as soon as I made it out to the garden. It’s kind of a long walk back inside when the rain is coming down harder and harder as you go. The next day, I was ready for the rain. I brought my raincoat and resolved to put my hours in at the greenhouse, rain or no rain. Of course, it rained. But underneath my raincoat, I was dry (sort of) and able to continue weeding. Every plant I pulled up sent little bits of dirt flying up to stick to my semi-wet face, and the green on my gloves was barely visible through the mud, but it was better than doing nothing.
     As I’ve said before, weeding gives you plenty of time to think. So I thought about the metaphoric kind of rain. We’ve all had rainy periods in life… times when you can’t seem to do what you need or want to do, when the outlook is dreary and bleak. Sometimes those rainy periods mean you get wet and weighed down by the rain, or you have to dig your hands down in the muck. Sometimes, all your accomplishments during those rainy times amount to grit under your fingernails and mud splattered on every inch of exposed skin. No matter how wonderful and waterproof your raincoat is, you can’t completely escape the rain. Not unless you stay inside and decide to just not even try, which, if you really want to get anywhere in life, isn’t an option.
     There is good news, though. Just like the rain this past week or so was good for the plants, our metaphoric rainy patches of life are good for our growth. Real, positive growth doesn’t often happen when everything is sunny and there’s nothing to struggle with. It’s when you’re outside with your hood pulled up and there’s nothing to hear but the raindrops pounding away that you have to focus on what’s right in front of you and decide what you’re going to do about it. That’s when you determine just how hard you’re willing to work to get what you want. That’s when you grow. So the rain is good, even if it seems dark and disheartening in the moment. And if you don’t believe me… well, just head out to the garden and take a look at all the beautiful greenery coming up there.
​                                                                                                     ~ Serena Bacon