Quotes Issue #6 — Stormy Days
Thinking about life and stormy days as Tropical Storm Fay moves up the Atlantic coast.
“Sunny days give us happiness; stormy days give us wisdom.”
—Mehmet Murat Ildan
It is rainy, windy, and gray along the Atlantic Ocean today. The pear trees lining the driveway sway gently in the breeze, bending occasionally to stronger gusts. The windows are dotted with raindrops. Puddles and pools of water are scattered about the yard.
Days like this remind me of late summer storms of my childhood. Today those memories have taken back to camping on Assateague Island before it became a National Seashore Park.
Every August we would pack up our camper and head to the island via the two-car ferry that was the only way to get there. It was the mid-sixties and everything had changed with the Storm of ‘62 which wiped out the road that connected Assateague Island to Ocean City, Maryland.
Photo by Kumiko SHIMIZU on Unsplash
Solitude is powerful and peaceful
What I loved most about those trips was the solitude. For two weeks it was just about family, fishing, and bonfires, the latter complete with roasted marshmallows. The ocean only a few yards away, the rhythm of the waves gently ushering us into our nightly rest.
It was far less peaceful when a storm passed, but then came the morning after.
An almost eery calm overtook as you stepped outside the camper, greeted by a calm ocean and bright skies. Footprints from yesterday washed away by the rain. Everything felt fresh and new, and we were the only ones there to see it.
The lesson within…
As I look out the window today at the rain and wind I am transported back to one of those stormy nights. Remembering the rush to stow our gear so it would not blow away. Huddling inside our homemade camper playing games to pass the time as our little universe swayed more and more as the storm approached.
Occasionally we would open the door and peak at the scene outside. Rain coming down in sheets from every angle. Waves crashing to the shore and sometimes coming a bit too close to the camper for comfort. Lighting illuminating the sky. Thunder providing the exclamation points that locked the memory into our brains.
Though I was too young to understand, those nights taught me a very important lesson — storms pass and we emerge from the experience able to see things differently. And the same is true for the storms we face in our lives.
My five favorite quotes on storms and stormy weather…
“Sometimes there are stormy moments in your life when your friends do more than just walk with you; they become angels that carry you and protect you with their wings.”
―Steve Maraboli
“Talent is nurtured in solitude; character is formed in the stormy billows of the world.”
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.”
—Gilbert K. Chesterton
“Like the sky opens after a rainy day we must open to ourselves . Learn to love yourself for who you are and open so the world can see you shine.”
—James Poland
“Don't wait for the storms of your life to pass. Learn to dance in the rain.”
—Steve Rizzo
What’s your favorite quote regarding storms and stormy days? Please share it with me.
Today’s Action Advice
Take a few minutes today to think about the storms you have experienced and how they have impacted you. Chances are you will see there were lessons they delivered, often lessons you do not recognize at the time that serve you well somewhere down the road. I encourage you to enjoy the moment of recalling the memory and ponder the power of the lesson — chances are it has served you well many times since and will continue to do so.