Drizzly, overcast days make me a little more ponderous, a little more thoughtful. Sure, the sun is wonderful, but how often do rainy days come around? They're special, and for me, special things happen on those days.
Take yesterday for example. It was the second day home from my last year of girls' camp and--as you've probably already guessed--a cool, wet Saturday. Waking up smelled like rain, leaving me feeling clean.
Later on, my friend and I made a visit to the Rexburg Temple for baptisms. Honestly, I can think of no better way to polish off a week of spiritual feasting than a trip to the temple. The beautiful white building was stark against the dusky clouds, and numerous couples were reverently filing in and out of it. Once we had gotten settled and began waiting to be baptized, I felt completely peaceful. And I couldn't stop smiling. Quite a few college-aged men and women waited with me and my friend, and the coolest thing was that we were all there, doing the Lord's work. All was well and right. Coming out of the temple, my friend and I felt so good! Clean in every sense of the word.
A little while after that, my parents returned home from Utah, and I loved catching up with them over a batch of cookies. Rain continued to fall, keeping the world shiny and new. My missionary brother would be jealous because rainy days are his favorite. Since he's in Los Angeles, he doesn't get too many of those. So with the exception of this brother, it was nice to just be with my family and enjoy the sound of rain pattering on the roof.
Then, I went to work in that never-ceasing rain. I work at small, family-run amusement park, and when I got there, the only thing running was the go-karts. Soon, even those people left, leaving me and a different friend (we'll call her Tess) to clean up the park. As we wiped down fences in the downpour, Tess and I talked about everything. It felt great to tell her what had been on my mind, and she felt the same. Usually the both of us are too busy to merely converse like this, but because of the weather, nothing could stop us. And while we continued to clean benches and tables, we got the brilliant (no sarcasm here) idea to go puddle jumping. So we did.
Tess and I were little girls again, giggling as we sloshed through puddles and stamped in miniature streams. And since nobody was in the park but us, nobody cared. When the two of us clocked out, our manager let us put up one of the inflatable slides. I went down first, careening into a puddle so cold I gasped. Tess came down seconds later, and we crashed into each other, slipping again when I tried to get back up. I don't think either of us stopped laughing.
Never underestimate the power of a moment. As I mentioned in my post "The Hiatus is Over", it is the little moments that matter most in life. They fill in the cracks between the big events and lessons, creating the map that is our lives. I believe I have done better about cherishing those small every-day things. Through doing this, I am better able to use my agency, to recognize what exactly I am doing, and if need be, to change it. Ultimately, this brings me closer to my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I will do everything in my power to follow Him, for He is my Lord and my Light.
For me, rainy days are spiritual, thoughtful, and a fun change of pace. They never seem gloomy or disappointing. Actually, it almost feels like I glean more out of them than regular days.
