A Nice and Stormy Day

Okay, I must be honest: my preferred weather involves sunshine, nice temperatures and beautiful blue skies. (Just in case you're wondering, no I was NOT born in California.) This is a large part of the reason why I love summer so much.

But there are times when I enjoy an overcast day, such as today. I was more than a little delighted when I looked out the window this morning to see that the light appeared to be subdued, or, in other words, that it was overcast. And I was even happier when I opened my blinds and discovered such was exactly the case.

I like the nice weather as much as anybody but sometimes I long for cloudy days too. The weather has been pretty hot and clear for the last couple of weeks so perhaps this is part of the reason I am still so pleased to see a change. Or perhaps it could have something to do with a gloomy mood that set in yesterday that hasn't quite left yet. Sometimes it's bad if the weather matches one's mood, but in this case I think it's a good thing. Perhaps the rain (well, I have only seen a few sprinkles right now but that could still change) will act as a cleansing agent and help me feel better. I DO love the smell of rain. So clean, so fresh.

When I was in high school I had an interesting realization that I'd like to share here. It came in response to a day like this, only in that case, I wasn't happy to see an overcast day. I was sad because I wished it could be sunshiny forever. And then I realized that sometimes we need the cloudy days in order to appreciate the sunny ones.

If every day was beautiful, blue and cloud free, we would cease to appreciate it (as I have found myself doing lately) because we take it for granted. When the weather changes and we lose those warm, clear days, we gain a greater appreciation for all types of weather, from sunny to rainy, clear to foggy, warm to *sigh* snowy. Life is like this too: when we go through the hard times, it may not be easy and may try us to our core, but it will also help push us out of our comfort zone and grow. Forced growth isn't always fun, but it's often necessary.

Here's to a cloudy day, complete with a thunderstorm, and the realizations it brought to pass.