laughter in the rain?

This morning, a cold, unrelenting rain descends onto the atmosphere. The skies are dark, overwhelming, and sad. And I’d like to swim in a pool of French fries and cupcakes while I sob myself to a fitful sleep. Needless to say, it’s obvious that I loathe days like this. I’d love to tell you that I’m someone who doesn’t allow the weather to dictate my mood, but that would be quite the lie. My name is This Square Peg, and precipitation is my master. And on gloomy, rainy days like this, I reflect the color of the day: gray. (I also want plenty of carbs and starches, as seen above.)

A friend of mine recently asked on Facebook if anyone had suggestions on how she could change her attitude about rainy days. I thought that was such a genius question, for one thing, and above all, I highly appreciated her eagerness to find a silver lining behind the murky, pea soupy cloud. A lot of the responses were nice and positive, cute. (One friend suggested imagining Gene Kelly’s routine in Singing in the Rain, for example, which I thought was a fun idea.)  So, as I hurried through the rain this morning, clutching my umbrella and casting my eyes warily toward the heavens, I wondered the same thing: how can I change my attitude about rainy days?

It Doesn’t Last Forever. Even though it’s been raining since yesterday, and per the quacks meteorologists, it will continue tomorrow, it won’t rain for the rest of my life. It’s going to end eventually. So I need to focus on the end game and stop shaking my fists at the sky.

Perspective is Everything. Yes, it’s raining, and yes, it’s stinkin’ cold, but something is growing somewhere. Something is benefiting from the moisture. If not me, then something/someone else. Right? Riiiighhht?

Funerals, Heartbreak, Etc. Perhaps my rainy days will be less morose if I don’t think of all the terrible things I associate with rain, such as the latter. I literally imagine funeral processions and sobbing in the rain over a splintered heart. Yep. That’ll have to change, huh?

Just Background, Really. It’s raining, it’s pouring, my love life is boring me to tears…(if you got that Barbra Streisand/Donna Summer reference, then you and me are besties 4 eva). Anyway, lyric gold aside, the rain isn’t the reason behind what I may be going through that day. It’s just the background. Not the cause, not the catalyst. It’s just rain.

So, in the end, I figure that changing my mindset will significantly improve the dark moods I tend to nurse when the weather is like this. No, you may never see me dancing in the rain, but you just might catch a tiny, unbothered smile.