240. Weather Days

After a couple of years of being trapped at home, unable to do much, it might seem strange that I write about this as something I love about America, but I do love the occasional rainy day or snow day where you are just forced to change all of your plans. These are the kinds of things that force you to go out and shovel snow instead of going to work. You might have to stay inside and binge watch some television or some movies. You might take the opportunity to read that book you’ve set aside because you couldn’t find the time to read it. Maybe the power has gone out and you have to light some candles and rethink all of your meal plans because you can’t cook inside on your electric range.

These kinds of days—the days that make you rethink your plans—happen at any time of year. The weather has a way of making us realize that all of our plans and scheming aren’t really that important or that we didn’t really think them through. I’m retired, so I didn’t think these sorts of days would really happen much anymore, but then the rains of May and June started happening, the kinds of rain that make it impossible to get your yard work done, the kinds of rains that make your garden plot a mud hole that you can’t possibly till or plant. These are the days that force me to do that writing I wanted to do but kept putting off. These are the days when I start baking cookies in the afternoon because I can’t get much done outside. These are the days that are unexpectedly welcome because I have to remember that all of my plans aren’t really that important. What is important is that we are lucky enough to be alive to do things, like meaningless things that somehow have the capacity to remind us that it is the life that is important, not the activities.

Some people get distraught over these sorts of days because they get behind or simply have to give up on things. I learned sometime ago to embrace them and use the rainy days, the snow days, the sick days as a time to be thankful. I love them.