Words to live by

Those of you who know me, know that I was married once before. My first wife - who is also the mother of my children - and I were divorced in 1997. Over the past several months I have been helping her out by providing moral support and counsel for a rather difficult situation with which she had been burdened. And in that time I believe we've gotten a little bit closer, a little bit friendlier and more than a little bit comfortable with each other. She in turn has provided a rather soft shoulder for me during my separation from my current wife. Which I'll admit is just a little bit weird but... it is what it is.

Now consider that we here in Southern California have just suffered some rather nasty weather (well, nasty for California anyway). Torrential rains, heavy winds dominate and being soaked to the skin is an understatement. And just when you resign yourself to the misery of the weather, amidst the storm and tornado warnings, there comes a little ray of sunshine that helps us to feel better, helps us to smile a little, or just increases our optimism for a brighter tomorrow.

While helping my first wife she made a simple statement. But I have said it a thousand times, there is power in simplicity. Sometimes incredible power. Her statement;

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about learning to dance in the rain."

What a perfectly timed and incredibly astute thing to say. Right now, my life is one HUGE storm. And yes... I've only been passively participating in it, waiting for the storm to pass. I figured there isn't much I can do that makes myself feel good while the clouds are overhead and I'm being soaked. (Cool metaphors huh?)

This inspires me to change my point of view. Instead of waiting until I "feel better" what I should really be doing is learning how to enjoy myself and my life. Even while it's surrounded by all the problematic and emotionally draining experiences. I need to get out and dance in the rain.

The irony of this having come to me from my first wife is a completely different discussion. But we'll address that in a later post.