What Gray Clouds?!

My six yr old Jonathan, who decided there was no reason to be sad about this rainy day. Too many friends and fun!

Just minutes ago, I was attempting to have a conversation with my son’s Kindergartner teacher. I was quickly distracted by the gray clouds and tiny drops of rain that were most unwelcome. I apologized for said dialogue and told her I’d shoot a quick e-mail instead; but, I couldn’t find Jonathan.

And then I heard this squealing…

I turned around to see a tiny team of five and six year olds huddled under an umbrella with which they were most enchanted. Quite unmoved by the dreariness of the day, they were lost in glee at the thought of squeezing together, peering through the transparent plastic, enjoying their limited protection from the rain, and most importantly, savoring the moment to treasure the unexpected.

This is one of many gems of childhood from which I still try to glean. So often, once we’ve perceived that the day is a dismal one, we use that perspective as our lens. The motif of dreariness can seep into our entire day, often leaving us with feelings of glumness and dissatisfaction that can be hard to reconcile.

But, what if we focused less on our distaste for the rain? What if we shifted our gaze from the grayness of the clouds and instead considered that there are ways that we could protect ourselves from the elements? What if we remembered that even gray days are more bearable when surrounded by our friends?

What if we considered that when going through grays in groups, the people around us have a point of reference; likely understand exactly what we’re trying to describe, and amidst our dreary circumstances, may even be crazy enough to make us laugh in the midst of our troubles…?

I was so ready to exit the uncomfortable scene. However, I couldn’t resist snapping a pic of the incessant jubilance on those little faces. The nerve of them – being happy in a moment of spontaneity when so many things are going wrong in the world! Don’t they know that?

Maybe, regardless of what’s going on in the world around us, we should take a moment to find the pockets of joy that we can grab hold of that seem to be elusive to so many. I think I’m up for the challenge. Are you?

What gray clouds… let’s find ourselves some sunshine from within.