Rain, Rain Go Away!
Or Maybe Not…. Sprinkle the Glamour!
This past summer on Vancouver Island was spectacular. The first half of September continued to be quite nice then slowly it eroded to atypical days of heavy rain. This year, fall and winter predictions suggest that we will have more rain than usual due to La Nina. After waking up day after day to gorgeous skies and lovely warm temperatures, it’s a bit hard to swallow when the days are shortening, skies are gray and light rains increase to long periods of torrential downpours plus high winds. I found myself starting to wallow in self-pity, and feeling a slight shadowy mood descend. October has continued to be rainier than usual, hence the walking routines have shifted to accommodate the weather. I am faced with a choice, allow the rainy weather to get me down or look on the bright side of life.
So, since this week has given the rain and dark days, I shall sprinkle my glamour, (fairies secret ingredient from the forests that has the magical ability to transform anything negative to positive and anything ugly to beautiful), embrace the change of routine and celebrate the new opportunities. This week’s blog shall be about strategies to seize the day, even when it isn’t bright and sunny.
First, I have to say that I am grateful not to be teaching in Ontario with multiple consecutive rain days. In Ontario, the rule of thumb was that if it rained that it would be indoor recess. Indoor recess is enough to drive an entire school into a grumpy collective. Schools around rainy Vancouver and Vancouver Island require students to go out even in the rain. Rain on the west coast is like snow in Ontario. Everyone has to adjust and be resilient not to let the wet weather dampen spirits. Take a look at this great note of direction to parents at a Burnaby school. Rain days are not to be dreaded but embraced. As a matter of fact, here on the west coast outdoor education is supported and encouraged with far more vigor than in Ontario. Maybe Ontario can learn from their example?
After being grateful for my retirement, I then realized these rainy days are the perfect opportunity for me to catch up on writing, finish an online course, work on my art, finish some reading and even get to some cleaning. All these things I tend to overlook during our brilliant summers. It’s just too easy to defer to walking the forested trails or enjoying our beaches.
Last, Mark and I decided that we need to schedule our walks around weather rather than designated times and days. As long as we are flexible we can keep up with our outdoor fitness.
Sprinkling the glamour can shift a mindset from doom and gloom to one of MOR! Yes, I call MOR a mindset of optimistic resolve, which seizes the day with a determined perspective of more, ‘making lemonade out of lemons’!
