A Rainy Day

Today is a rainy day. The clouds hang low in the sky, and everything is colored by a shade of gray. It happens quite a bit here in the pacific northwest, and the water pouring down on windsheilds and gutters today is the kind of rain that makes the area known for it. I've lived in this weather all my life and I have to say, it can be somewhat tiring day after day. Stepping outside, its not a question of if you'll get wet, its a matter of how drenched you'll be by the time you make it to shelter again.

Being on a level of acute intelligence, as I am, you'd think I'd have taken advantage of the familiar cliche, and save something nice "for a rainy day." If I had, nine months out of the year I'd be certain to get whatever reward I should want to squirrel away. But as I weaved my way through traffic and tried to make shapes appear from a water-logged car, I realized I had nothing to look forward to because of the rain. Not because I had already used it, since it has been raining for weeks now; no, I actually cannot remembering ever putting anything aside with the thought that I would use it on a rainy day.

How sad for someone who's most constant companion in the sky is water to have never taken advantage of common wisdom that would make this day much more special! How it would have changed my perspective as I splashed through puddles hoping there were no holes in my shoes, and thanked my stars that I wore waterproof mascara, to have known that at the end of the day there was something there that made it all more worthwhile.

I guess I've always wondered if taking the time to 'make' something special was even worth the effort. Oftentimes, what people refer to saving for days such as these is money, so lets suppose I had done that. Its not as if the money I would allow myself to spend today was not available to me at any other time. It would come from the same place as the rest of my dollars, either earned or as a gift, and would not suddenly appear out of nowhere. And its not like I would forget that I had saved some money for a rainy day, if I had an urgent need of it, raining or not I would certainly have spent it. So whats the point? Wouldn't it be the same to simply go shopping, or treat myself to a dinner and drinks, without the necessary weather condition and witholding?

Then again, what is it that makes any day special? For instance, my birthday: to everyone else in the world it feels like just another day. They wake up in the morning like any other day, go to work and occupy themselves like any other day, and go to bed that night like any other day. They live their lives without any awareness of the day being any different simply because of the date. And, in fact, it isn't different - for them. For me, the day is special because of what I know. I know that I was born on that day however many years ago and in my mind it is my day. All day long I get to remember and appreciate my entrance onto planet Earth, and perhaps look forward to the people in my life showering me with presents. But there really isn't anything inherently different about my birth-day, to me or anyone. The specialness comes from my attitude and my idea about it. I choose to make the day meaningful to me and so it is.

Looking at it from this perspective, it would seem that the act of saving something for a rainy day is really an opportunity to make more special days. Unlike a birthday, which you can anticipate and plan for, a rainy day can be any day, expected or not. Suddenly its raining, and for no other reason besides the one you made, the day becomes special. It could happen anywhere, and at any time, giving you a reason to be looking forward to everyday.

The positive lesson here, of course, is that it is in our power as people with mental capabilities to change our focus and make a day a little nicer for ourselves simply because we want to. Changing the way I look at the rain drops cascading down my windows doesn't change the outward fact that it is raining. Nor does it give me the ability to go outside without my hair frizzing; or make me reach for my suede jacket instead of an umbrella. All it does is remind me that I can use a simple weather pattern as a reason to be happy. And, as a person who likes to be happy, that is enough for me.