Rainy Days and Balance

Photo: Shlomit Wolf via Unsplash.com

At first, I was disappointed that it was supposed to rain last Saturday. But as the day drew closer and I looked around my house, I realized that there was plenty to do here, and perhaps a rainy day was just what I needed.

To lead off the day, I slept in. When I came downstairs, I found my daughter under the canopy on the patio with her book -- the embodiment of the luxury a rainy Saturday brings. Unencumbered by the pleasant distractions inherent in a beautiful summer day, she was taking the time to enjoy the simple act of reading for the sheer pleasure of it, and her goal was to finish the book by the end of the day.

Some days just call out for good books and household projects -- the kind you keep meaning to get to, but never make time for. Rainy days make being indoors an attractive option, and suddenly, those projects look less daunting too.

Saturday ended up being a little writing, a good bit of laundry, a little church, some take-out stromboli and a DVD from Netflix. My daughter finished her book, my husband puttered around and I finished one of my projects. It was a quiet, productive day, but also a relaxing one.

Rainy days encourage us to roll over and go back to sleep; sunny days make getting out of bed less difficult. Sunny days beckon us outdoors; rainy days offer contentment indoors. The threat of a rainy day inspires gloom; the promise of a sunny day encourages plans.

At least that's how it is for me -- my husband and my daughter love the rain. I hide from it; they go out walking in it.

And so we have balance. Sunny day after sunny day sounds good in theory, but without a little rain here and there, we take the sun for granted. Then, when it doesn't show up, sending clouds in its place, we get a little grumpy.

Photo: Josh Felise via Unsplash.com

As I write this, the sun is shining outside my window, and I'm grateful for that. We're headed on another college visit, and the last visit in the rain was unpleasant and unsatisfying, so I think today's campus stands a better chance simply because of the weather. While a rainy day would make it easier for me to stay inside and power forward on my book revisions, today's weather is a perfect match for today's plans.

Some days are like that. Other days, we have to adjust the plans to the weather.

And so we have balance.