The earth needs the rain as much as the sun. And we need our rainy days as well. And so, while cloudy and wet days might not be the most exciting, there’s still a place for melancholy in nurturing the soul that should not be denied.
Often we think of the good life as the eternal summer day with not a cloud in the sky. Life is full of joy and we’re energized to freely follow the desires of our hearts. There’s clarity and confidence and all seems right in the world.
And, to be sure, these are good moments to enjoy. But it’s unrealistic to expect life to always be in this perpetual state of happiness. Some days it rains and this is okay.
On rainy days we might be feeling kind of blue. We might not have the energy to tackle the day with our usual gusto. And we might not find the same level of joy in the things we’re typically excited about. Grief might also be present, but not connected to anything in particular – more of a deep ache or longing for something we can’t quite name.
Our temptation in these moments is to find our quickest route of escape – to numb out or to otherwise keep ourselves distracted from experiencing the depression of these rainy days.
But the better approach is to accept them and to let them do their needed work in our life. As new life comes after the rain, we too often find new meaning and purpose after our rainy days.
Of course, honoring the rain is not an excuse to neglect our other responsibilities. There’s no day off from love and we must still show up despite the rain, though we should be kind to ourselves as we do.
In the end, allow rainy days to feed and nurture your soul. Life and new growth is often the result of these times to pause, reflect, and just be.
Photo by Laura Barbato on Unsplash
