I've got sunshine on a cloudy day...

This evening as I came home from work I realized we'd had a few days straight with no rain.  I can't tell you how long it has been since that was the case but I do know this: I planted flowers in front of the house on April 5 and they should be watered at least every other day, more or less, and I've only had to water them four or five times.  So yes, April showers (and then some MASSIVE May ones as well) were in full effect.  For the most part I was grateful for the rain because of how I knew it would make the landscape of our area explode with gorgeous flowers, but there were days it certainly got me down and I could not wait for it to clear up.  I was not alone in this...it felt like the weather is all anyone was talking about for days!

One day I got to my parents' house just as the rain was tapering off. My almost three year old nephew ran to the door, excitedly exclaiming my name.  He kept looking from me to the the umbrellas and then back to me.  My sister explained that he was chomping at the bit to use one. I had a hoodie on so I pulled the hood up, I grabbed his hand and an umbrella, carefully waiting until we had made our way past Dad's car before handing it over.  When I handed it to him, the look on his face is the same look I expect to see when he gets his first car -- he was excited, liberated, so full of joy.  He walked a few steps ahead of me, holding the umbrella and walking with some pep in his step.  I snapped the picture above as he was blissfully unaware, on his little stroll.  Every few seconds he'd turn back and look at me with his incredible grin, then set back about his business. It was one of those "I love being an aunt" times for sure. 

After that walk with him I felt like we'd conquered the rain a little bit.  We had ventured into it and found the joy that was waiting.   Even though we love beautiful sunny days, there was plenty of beauty to be found this day in the rain.  There are plenty of applications for that in my family right now.  The storms we are weathering together are unearthing strength and grace we never knew we had.  There are days it feels like the pain will never end, like the hurt will never stop, but we've become quite good about venturing out into the rain, together.