After it rains, everything looks different. Colors are richer, deeper, crisp, defined. The nature of the thing has not changed, but my capacity to see it with new eyes has. And then I understand. Without the storm, no rain. Without the rain, no intensity. Without intensity, no contrast. without contrast, no change. The secret to intensified joy, is not to wait until after the storm to see beauty, but to find it in the rain.
My husband and I have been going on a lot of long walks in the evenings in an effort to get out of the house and comply with covid restrictions. One Friday evening we were feeling deprived and fatigued about not being able to go anywhere on a date night so we decided we would change things up a bit by doubling the distance we normally walked and go on a different route. It was overcast when we left, but rain was not in the forecast.
We kept looking up thinking the darkening clouds looked ominous, but forged onward. We were probably 8 miles or so from our house in our expedition when it started to sprinkle and we decided, since we were both in short sleeve shirts, we’d better head back.
No sooner had we done an about face, than a flash of lighting lit up the sky followed by a crash of thunder and the heavens cracked open, unleashing a sheet of sideways rain, so intense it looked like fake rain being dumped on a movie set. The wind was a mini typhoon, pushing us like we were on an airport moving sidewalk. Irritated that the weather service had led us astray and now fearing for our lives, we scrambled for cover under trees while it started to hail with accompanying thunder and lightening! We didn’t even have jackets or umbrellas! Cars were passing us, splashing water up on to the sidewalk over our feet, while passengers were looking at us, shaking their heads, as if to say, look at those crazy people, what are they doing!
It was in that moment we saw our situation through “rain washed eyes”. Instead of being irritated about yet another date night’s plans being trashed, we started laughing at what a predicament we were in and what a sight we must be, dripping wet, freezing, no jackets, and walking like drunken sailors from the momentum of the wind!
We set out on a boring walk because it was better than staying home and what we got was the most fun date night we’d had in a long while! We kept going, running and hunching over while laughing our heads off and now as cars were passing us they were laughing with us!
When we got home the adventure continued! The power was out in the whole city from wind blown fallen trees on power lines. We lit some candles, climbed into warm, dry pajamas and watched a movie on the lap top until the battery ran out.
We didn’t need to wait to be able to laugh about it, we laughed all the way through it and for the next straight week! We had laughed and danced in the rain! It was wet, cold, miserable and…….. utterly, unforgettably, fantastic!!!!!
” Rain” is comprised of tinted, mineral glass over a scaffolding of natural fiber, wood and metal wire. the piece is coated in fiberglass resin
The Scaffolding materials represent organic and external sources that can make up our brewing storm. The tinted mineral glass that organically grew on that form, represents the new beauty we see through rain washed eyes.
“Rain”, does not have a front side or back. The base is circular so you may turn the piece to reflect the side that speaks to you.
Enjoy!