Can You Stand the Rain?
Why Seasons Matter.
In an ideal world, the sun would be shining all year round and I wouldn’t have to go through the transition of summer to fall and fall to winter. Days would stay long and warm and nights would remain short and sweet. No winter jackets, no layering of clothes, no rain coats, no getting wet from head to toe because you left your umbrella at home and the weather and the harshest wind you’ve ever experienced did a number on you. None of that.
Especially during fall, I hear a lot of people saying how much they dislike the rain, the drop of temperatures and how they wished summer would come back. I am some people, some people is me. It took me a while to understand, and to be honest I am still in the process of understanding that: every season matters.
The cold season where you need layers and layers of clothes, and you stare at the previously flourishing tree that now looks back at you nakedly. And you could swear you can see the branches shivering when you look closely. Where you hibernate in warm blankets and your go to beverages are chai tea, pumpkin spice latte and my personal favorite (for obvious reasons) hot chocolate. The cold season is where you have the chance to turn inward because outside doesn’t look as appealing as it looked during summer. It is a time to work on yourself and prepare for the next season. Then there are the warmer seasons where the heat of the sun burns its way through your skin in the most beautiful way and your clothes are a combination of lightweight fabrics, and plenty of shorts, short skirts, short dresses, short sleeves, short shorts, you name it. Where going out is something you look forward to and there’s motivation and high energy in the air, making you think that anything is possible. While we all love the sun we also know that rain is necessary for forest, trees, vegetation; for life on earth. We need water. It is in the hard seasons, in the dark season, in the cold season, the rainy seasons that we are shaped to become the best possible version of ourselves.
What am I letting go of?
I look at the trees during this season and it reminds me of the transition I am in right now. To sum it up I am letting go and letting God. Not holding on to leaves that I have outgrown and making space for something new, however long it may take, I know it is coming. Not by wishful thinking but by actively doing something, anything. Working with what I have been given and making the best out of the situation I find myself in. Putting one foot in front of the other so that I can look up and realize every step took me closer to where I was supposed to be.
As much as we don’t like our hair getting wet (even though now that I have Locs, my hair thrives with water), water seeping through our shoes because we wore the wrong footwear and have to deal with wet socks and feet until we finally get home, or fighting for your life while balancing holding an already unstable umbrella (I really need to invest in better umbrellas) with rain pouring down and the wind deciding to blow you away at every turn.
Can you stand the rain? Even when it pours and there is no sign of anything slowing down any time soon. Maybe you watch the rain from the cozy space of your home or you choose to go out there and dance and sing in the rain like they used to do in R&B videos. Whatever you decide to do, know that rain comes and goes, seasons come and seasons go but whatever you learn and whatever growth you experience in that season will stick with you forever.
Love,
Maame.
