Bet My Cloud Is Bigger Than Your Cloud!

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights." ~ Maya Angelou

HELLO BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!!! I feel as if it's been so long since we've spoken.  Comcast finally caught on to my illegal internet usage and locked the connection.   This is why I've been m.i.a. from blogging.  Today, I strapped up with my laptop at hand, found free wifi, a quiet corner (well, it was quiet sometimes), a plug, a desk, and inspiration to write.  It's another manic Monday, which we all like to call the dreaded first day of the official work week.  On top of it being Monday, it's gloomy out, warm, but gloomy.  It's been raining for majority of the day and the sky has been filled with these huge black clouds that appear as if they're going to release a vicious storm anytime now.  For me, today was supposed to be a day of relaxation.  Life gets so busy and hectic that I'm hardly ever able to truly take a moment to myself.  So I decided to make today that day, gloomy or not.  I don't have track with the kiddies, and I decided to cancel class today seeing that my students just took a quiz on Friday.  Of course there were still a few errands to run and things to be tended to, but ultimately I have most of today to do as I please.

Late this morning, prior to the rain falling, I made a Walmart trip (Walmart always seems to find a way into my day).  As I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed this huge, dark, highly intimidating cloud hovering over my current space.  It was very humid outside and to my knowledge, humidity plus rain clouds equal horrible thunderstorms... tornados even.  I immediately started to hurry and try to park, grab my things, and frantically scurry into the Walmart.  I watched as everyone else in the parking lot had the same idea.  Folks were running to their cars and to the inside of the store as if we were on the verge of a hurricane of some sort... all trying to avoid a storm that hadn't even approached yet.  Regardless of the weather, I had things that I needed to do.  I refused to spend a good part of my morning aimlessly roaming around Walmart waiting for a storm to pass.  If it were going to rain, then so be it.  I had an umbrella, and legs to keep me moving, so as far as I was concerned I was good to go. 

While carrying out my errands amidst this imminent storm, it made me think about something interesting.  As human beings, we are always trying to out run, hide from, or avoid a storm.  As soon as we see a cloud approaching, we suddenly go into a state of panic and shock, losing our head, focus, and sense of how to continue carrying out things in our lives.  We become so worried that it's going to rain on our head that we give up on tasks that we originally intended to complete and that we know we need to.  This applies to a storm in every sense... from an actual rain storm to life's trials and tribulations also known as storms.  Just as with an actual rain storm, no matter how much we try to run and avoid the storm it stills comes if it's supposed to.  And if we are in its path, then we will have to deal with it and attempt to continue our schedule as planned.  Putting your life on hold just because the sky gets cloudy makes absolutely no sense to me, and shouldn't make any sense to you either.  Why  is it that we do this with life storms?  Put our life on hold ya know.  But then once the storm has passed and the sun is shining, we can not truly enjoy the sunlight because we are now having to still carry out the remainder of the task and obligations that we put on hold when the dark cloud showed up.

To make matters worse, we act as if when it rains that the dark cloud is solely hanging over our head and no one else's.  As if everyone is supposed to give us pass after pass for being bitchy, cranky, moody, or melancholy because it's our particular forecast is gloomy at the moment.  Now this is not necessarily a bad thing.  Sometimes people do simply need their space when it's raining where they are, allow them to deal with their storm how they please... but my pass has a limit.  Go ahead and offer an umbrella.  Rihanna actually had a point when she offered her umbrella-ella-eh-eh to a friend in a rain storm.  Wouldn't you in real life?  In a real storm?  However, don't use your friend and family's understanding heart and hand to capitalize on your "oh woe is me" moments.  Meaning don't take advantage of others' empathy for you or next time when your storm approaches, they won't be so keen to offering you their umbrellas.  Whether intentionally or intentionally, we have a tendency to put what it is that we are dealing with on others as if they could possibly not be facing a storm themselves.  We do this not knowing that we could potentially be adding another cloud to someone else's rain storm.   

Besides, rain can be a beautiful thing. 

It provides food and nourishment to the crops we eat and the flowers us females yearn for on special occasions.  It keeps our reservoirs and lakes filled to provide our drain systems with the water that we cook, clean, and bathe with.  Rain cools us off on those ridiculously humid and hot Summer days when nothing else seems to be working.  Water is what makes our beaches beautiful that we like to visit during spring breaks and other vacations.  Right now, as I type, it is still rainy... still cloudy... still dark and gloomy... but my day must go on.  While walking across the parking lot, I realized the goodness of my day despite the weather.  It's still warm out. I'm still off from work. I still have transportation and good health to even carry out these errands of mine.  And the cloud that rested above my head earlier, actually brought with it a nice breeze that blew from time to time... cooling me off when I got a little overheated from rushing for no reason.

The moral of the story is to embrace the stormy weather when it comes.  You know eventually the sun will shine and the clouds will past.  No matter how you deal with stormy weather, it is inevitable.  It's going to come from time to time whether you like or not.  Instead of always trying to run from the storm and rain, learn how to embrace it.  When dealing with a storm, you want to look at your life for the pluses that still remain.  Look at the light that is still there and try to see God's lesson in living and reason for the rain in the midst of it all.

I have seen quite a few rainy days... but looking at the bigger picture, my life has seen and will continue to see sunshine that is more powerful than any rain storm.  I have full trust in God's plan, whatever it may be.  Yes, at times it is hard to deal with the journey.  Yes, there's a lot that we don't understand, that we shouldn't expect to while the lesson is still in the works.  As long as you know that one day you will.  The sooner you embrace yourself and your forecast, the sooner that day will come.  Look at all that you've overcome thus far, the storms that you have successfully rode out.  You have survived, so there's no need to keep running from storms.  You simply can not outrun them or believe that you can go into hiding with hopes that they'll disappear.  It just won't happen.  That's not how God's forecast works.  There's no need walking around as if the storm cloud is only over your head.  It's raining up and down the east coast as I sit here.  So I challenge you, to grab an umbrella, put on your rain boots, and embrace the rain.  We wouldn't appreciate sunlight like we do if it were always here.  Oddly, there's a peace in the clouds.  Your day will go on with or without you.  Today, I'm turning off my cell phone and embracing the rain storm. 

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about learning to dance in the rain."

A MUST READ !!!
~quoted from Maya Angelou

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.  I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.  I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.  I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life."  I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.  I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.  I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.  I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.  I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.  I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.  I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."