So It Rained a Little Bit...

If you live in West Michigan, you know that we have had our fair share of storms and rain for the next 8 years all wrapped up in the past 2 weeks.  Even though the season has officially started, my son has yet to play a single soccer game, and I'm pretty sure we'll be playing until August at this rate.  All this rain has also led to quite a bit of flooding, and even a "Flood Day" school cancellation on Friday!  ("Mom, is this like a snow day?")  At one point, we even had a duck swimming in our backyard.  Not walking.  Not waddling.  Swimming.  

There have been some pretty incredible photographs floating (pun intended) around on Facebook, including my personal favorite of a fish seen through an office window.  

These photographs are not them.  Sorry to disappoint.  

These are simply a few snapshots I took of my kids playing in the lake that became our back yard for a couple of days.  Because really, who can resist splashing around in puddles, no matter how old you are?  Just for reference, under normal circumstances, we have no water in our back yard...no stream, no lake, no pond, no nothin'.  

Nothing like a little swing set turned water park in the back yard.  

Most of the time we were out there, they were in much deeper than this.  Just wanted to get a picture of their sweet little rain boots in the same puddle while I had the chance!

Lightning McQueen goes for a swim...

And here is the irony of it all...

These are all the trees that died after our drought last summer!!

So how does all of this tie into my experiences as a parent?  It doesn't really, but here is my attempt at a loose connection...

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."  ~Vivian Greene

When I read this quote for the first time, it really struck a nerve.  It is actually the reason I had my own rain boots to wear and splash around in the backyard lake with my kiddos.  After reading the quote for the first time, I shared it with my husband and we ended up talking about it for quite a while.  At the time, it really seemed to "fit" the season of life I was in.  Life seemed to be throwing storm after storm, and I was just hoping to wait it out. "Dancing in it" was the furthest thing from my mind at that time.  My gift that Valentine's Day was a pair of rain boots and a note that read "So you can dance in the rain..."  I remember that every time I slip those boots on my feet.

So once again...how does this connect in any way to parenting?  

Parenting is filled with incredible blessings, incredible amounts of joy, incredible moments to treasure.  It is, however, also filled with lots of storms, too.  

Middle-of-the night feedings.  Teething.  Night terrors.  Potty training.  Temper tantrums.  And that is just the tip of the iceberg...

They are inevitable.  There are so many different issues to work out and work through at different stages throughout your child's life.  We can't avoid it.  We can, however, choose how we view those storms and our attitude as we weather them.  

Will you spend those precious days waiting for that storm to pass?  Or will you throw on your rain boots and dance in the rain?

Today, the sun is shining.  The water in our backyard is receding.  The storm is over.  I am so thankful that for this storm, I was out there playing, splashing, dancing in the rain with my kids, not just waiting for that storm to pass.  The memories of that day bring a smile to my face even now.  I will treasure seeing the joy and wonder in those little faces and remember those tiny rain boots for years to come.  They will be tucked away and added to the "sunshine" I will draw on when the next storm hits.  Sometimes the steps are slow and unfamiliar, but I am trying to learn to dance a little more each day.

Rain or shine, You Are a Good Mom.


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