Embracing The Storm

I believe in the value of storms in our lives. It’s been a long winter and I’m looking forward to the storms of spring with more anticipation than usual. Winter storms are fine, but nothing matches the intensity and show of a good spring storm heralding a season of renewal and growth.

My passion for thunderstorms stems from watching them as a kid curled up next to my Mom. She’d gather us kids onto the couch to watch out the large living room window. We’d ooh and aah at the lightning and flashing clouds, count the seconds until the thunderous clap of thunder would rattle the windows, and marvel at the wind whipping the rain down sideways. Nighttime shows with the lights off were always the most exciting.

She never vocalized why she watched or encouraged us to watch with her. In a practical sense, storms must have been easier to handle with five children if they were viewed as an adventure and not something to be afraid of.

Mom was an optimist. Storms came and things got dark, but inevitably, the sunshine always followed. I’m not the optimist my mother was. I’m more pragmatic, more controlling, and more often than not look for what might go wrong rather than what is going right.

Yet I believe in the value of what storms bring to our lives. Not only those from Mother Nature but the ones that come up at home and at work, with family and friends, not to mention the ones we battle most privately within ourselves.

I believe embracing a storm was the most valuable lesson my mother taught me. I’ve learned to recognize and acknowledge the beauty in their power, and not be afraid. Although some make me tremble, I know I’m responsible for creating a safe haven; to accept I can’t control them, appreciate there’s some degree of benefit in every storm and deal with any damage left behind. The storm comes, the calm follows, and I make it through.

I don’t think mom intended for storm watching to be a mechanism for me to work through the trials of my life, however, it’s a lesson I rely on heavily none the less. As the spring clouds gather once more in the distance, I wonder what awaits me and am ready to embrace whatever rolls in.