Sunny Times, Rainy Times

It strikes me as curious that sunny times are usually associated with happy and rainy times are associated with sadness. Yet in agriculture we need the rainy times to ensure a good, even a bountiful crop, and sad times make us better appreciate the happy times we are lucky enough to experience.

Too much in the way of sun can lead to drought, with all the pain and loss that can accompany that, so that we will joyfully welcome the relief that comes with rain. We accept that the inherent nature of life means that a time of mourning is visited upon us whether we like it or not.

We may not think much about that when we are rushing to embrace all the adventures of life in our younger years. It may be that we are more carefree before we have accumulated the responsibilities of being an adult. It may be that we look that those early years as being more sunlit than the years that follow after.

And yet, those years when we feel in command of our lives, achieving objectives that yield a sense of power, surrounded by a loving circle of the people we have wedded to ourselves, those forever we will view as our sunny times. If we don’t achieve some of that, our times will surely seem rainy. We ourselves will be defining the climate.

Where do we find the inspiration for our aspirations? Many will adopt something from the example of the adults around them, or their observations of others outside the family circle, the gang they grew up with. I formulated mine from my readings as a youngster. By the time I reached the age of seeming reason I had decided I was going to be a hero, and would accomplish feats of derring do. I had to do a lot of living to achieve things that would match something that might approach what I thought was my destiny. That enabled me to view my life as one having an important element of sunny times.

Interesting for me is that my view of life from the perspective of old age has occasioned a total reappraisal. The things of overwhelming primacy, those things that required so much dedication from me, and often required sacrifices from those who had been close to me, have receded in importance. The things not done, or not well done, have become the focus of my attention where amends could possibly be made. My focus is on making all the times around me sunny ones, or, at least a sunny as possible. The rainy times will come inevitably as they are wont to do.

What’s happening at your house?