I received the most beautiful handmade card in the mail today from one of my dearest friends. She’s a person who seems to know just what I need at the exact right moment.
The card contained the following poem:
Pluviophile (A lover of rain; one who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days. I had to look it up!)
The rain sings against my skylight
Chiming and skidding
A cold, March rain
Welcomed by me
Signaling a breath of hope
It whispers
Spring is coming – hold on
So, I hold on
As I have done eons before
Grabbing my rain slicker
Tramping through puddles
Feet wet because of course
I can’t find my boots
Face wet because of course
I don’t want my hat
The cool, not-snow rain
Reminds me there is a seedtime
Buried underneath that grimy grass
Feeling it blossom in me
In spite of the cold
Because of the rain
And I lift up my face
And sing into the rain.
~Jeanne Anderson
Every bit of this resonated with me, especially the hold on part. I feel like that describes the last several weeks for us and the few weeks ahead. And quite honestly, the life of a parent, and life in a pandemic. We’re holding on.
But also, it’s March. Albeit a mild winter, it’s beginning to feel long and we’re all anxious to spend hours outside – we’re almost to spring, and we’re holding on.
And then the part about feeling it blossom in me – in spite of the cold, because of the rain. That spoke to me the most. We’re holding on for sure, but we’re also growing and will eventually bloom – like the flowers that will come from the seeds buried under the grimy grass.
In this family, we swing in the rain – and the opportunity is just around the corner. Join us. Get outside every opportunity you get, encourage all of the littles in your life to do the same. There is no better salve for the soul than a giant dose of Mother Nature – even if it’s (and especially!) in the rain.
There is hope in holding on.
And may you have or find a friend who knows just what you need in the moment you need it. <3