My ENO hammock was one of our first quarantine splurges (and probably the best, apart from my bike, a Trek Marlin 6, which I would hands down recommend to any and every one), as I KNEW I needed something for my sanity, with the kids being home non-stop. I wanted something that could help me escape outside, but still be close enough to make sure the kids weren’t burning the house down, or wrestling each other to injury. *Serious injury, that is, because wrestling apparently is life to my kiddos.

ANYHOO, I’m little all over the place today, but still wanted to share some encouragement on this lovely Saturday. And when I say lovely, I really don’t mean it, because it’s HOT, HUMID and GROSS here in the mountains, and that’s just not cool (pun intended, yes). So what I’m bringing today is …. sometimes it rains on you, and it’s ok, because you can find your way to dry ground, OR it’s ok because you can hunker down and get through it. There is ALWAYS a CHOICE on how you handle the rain storms of life.

I took this picture a few days ago, on a more “reasonably seasonable” evening, and had just gotten in and settled. The kids were watching tv, so I didn’t have to share with kid A or kid B, and I don’t really remember, but I probably had a wine. Out of nowhere, it started raining. POURING. I was surprised there weren’t cats and dogs falling from the sky, that’s how intense the rain was. I wanted to enjoy my place of refuge, so …. I hunkered down, and made the best of the sprays of water and occasional drops that came over the balcony.

Too often, we (yes, we) get settled in to something that we really wanted, hoped for, dreamed about, whatever, and when the rains come, we give up, and assume that dream wasn’t meant to be. Yes, ABSOLUTELY head for dry ground if you think that’s best, but you gotta get back to it! Don’t quit anything meaningful just because of a little, or a lot of, rain. I certainly didn’t give up on my dream of that sweet little haven, knowing it *might rain again.

So, here’s my thought: embrace the rain, we need it, right? The rain refreshes, and makes things grow, just as the rainstorms in life often refine us. Happy RAINY DAY, whenever it comes to you!

With Sunbeams and love,

Racheal Xx