What exactly does it mean to be a “fair weather” fan? Quite simply – you only cheer when things are sunny and bright.
I am a die-hard fan for my favorite sports teams, but for many other parts of my life, I am “fair weather” only.
I love to golf IF it’s between 70 and 80 with no rain and it’s not windy.
I like to eat out on the patio at a restaurant if it’s not too cold, too hot, or too windy.
While not the world’s biggest biking enthusiast, I could be convinced to go on a bike ride IF the temperature is perfect and the weather is dry.
Last, but not least, I LOVE to walk my dogs UNLESS it is raining.
Unfortunately, we have had more than our fair share of rainy days in Minnesota this summer and I have two dogs that really need their daily exercise. If they don’t get it, they start to do inconvenient things like knock all the pillows off the beds or pull all the cans of soda out of the 12-pack in the front hall and leave them strewn about the front room floor (albeit unopened).
During a recent 40-hour rain fest, I carefully watched the radar and found a 30-minute window of time in which it appeared there would be no rain. QUICK! Harness up the pups and head out. About 5 minutes from the house, the radar let me down and it began to rain. It wasn’t pouring, but it was definitely a steady, soaking rain.
My initial thought was to quick pull the hood over my head and run back home. My second thought was that I needed to suck it up and take the girls for a well-deserved walk. So, off we went. As I walked, I began to notice how truly beautiful it was. The sound of rain falling soothed my frazzled nerves and I felt my tense shoulders begin to relax. Watching the rain hit the ground reminded me of how much the earth really needed this water. Then, I noticed there was a smell that was different. I don’t really know that I ever thought about rain having a smell, but it does. It was fresh and clean and it smelled good!
The dogs were delighted that they were still out for a walk and didn’t seem to mind at all that their fur was getting wet. Every once in a while, they’d just stop and shake it off and then keep walking (and there is a lesson they taught me – just shake it off and keep walking). Did I mention how it felt on my skin? Cool, soft, naturally wonderful.
At some point, I realized how very much I loved being out there in this lovely rain with my faithful companions. That caused me to wonder what had made me be so uptight about getting wet! It was just water and everything that was getting wet would dry out, and if the dogs feet made muddy footprints on the floor, I’m pretty sure I could just wipe them up. Getting a little soggy and dirty was a small price to pay for how I was feeling.
In some strange way, it was liberating to be walking in the rain – soaking wet – and not caring. I tried to remember when I had last been out in the rain, and sadly could only come up with memories of cancelling plans due to rain or grumbling about how wet and cold I was or running like a madwoman to avoid getting any drops on myself. What a silly girl I had been for years. How many refreshing moments had I passed up because I was holding onto a silly story about how important it was to stay dry?
By this time, the girls and I were thoroughly soaked and completely happy and almost back to our front door. I paused outside for one last chance to turn my face to the sky and feel that beautiful gentle rain on my skin and thought, "What other wonderful moments am I missing out on because I have made up a silly story that is not true?"
And, so… I continue to discover more silly stories...
What silly stories and unfounded “truths” are keeping you from wonderful moments?
