I woke up one day last week to misty, overcast conditions, but it didn’t inspire the gloomy feeling that those words might suggest.
As the sky brightened, I noticed that the deck was soaked but the usual icy glaze was missing.
And there were small puddles on the driveway!
I stepped outside, instinctively inhaled deeply, and was enveloped by the unmistakable sweet smell of the first Spring rain.
It smells like hope, and it makes my heart happy.
We’ve had some very dry years recently, and last summer we experienced a devastating drought.
Our well, which has always produced a plethora of cold, clear water, ran murky and caused a great deal of stress and uncertainty.
We weren’t the only ones either. Many other farmers and acreage owners experienced water well issues.
The crops suffered, pasture land became parched, and creeks, sloughs, and ponds dried up.
The word “stressful” doesn’t even come close.
So, the smell of a little bit of rain that morning, and the clean, earthy smell that accompanied it, sparked an extra measure of gratitude.
And a renewed sense of hope.
It can be so easy to focus on the negative in our daily lives.
To complain.
About our job, our spouse, our children, where we live, how our body looks, the price of groceries, politicians (and the stupid things they say), our finances, etc.
The list is endless.
We complain about things that many others would be thrilled to have in their lives.
A regular paycheque, a partner, a family, a home, control over their health, an abundance of food, the right to speak out, our many possessions.
I’m guilty of it too.
It’s far easier to complain about what we think we deserve, rather than be grateful for what we have.
It’s easier to whine about “how hard it is to lose weight” rather than taking the time to learn about nutrition and to accept full responsibility for how much we are consuming.
It’s easier to complain about not feeling motivated to exercise rather than appreciating what our bodies can do.
It’s easier to complain about how awful our current job / manager / coworkers are rather than looking for another place to work.
It’s easier to complain about how busy we are rather than finding ways to simplify our life.
It’s easier to make the state of your life someone else’s fault rather than do the hard work required to change it.
That morning’s rain, and the freshness that accompanied it, reminded me to be grateful for the renewed optimism that Spring invariably brings.
I have absolutely no control over the weather, and worrying about it won’t change a thing. At least, that’s what I continually tell myself when it all starts feeling overwhelming.
There is a lot that I do have control over in my life, and I know my energy is far better spent focusing on being honest about what I can change.
What about you?
Will you see gloomy, misty, overcast days ahead? Or will you see (and smell) hope?
