Monday was a gray, rainy, cool day here. For most of us that translates to gloomy. After a long, cold winter we miss the sunshine. These gloomy days can really affect our attitude and it can make it harder to see things as pleasant or beautiful.
The picture attached to this post was taken Monday. It was on the windshield of a car. As a friend and I were talking about what a depressing day it is, she noticed it and snapped a photo. When I looked at the picture it reminded me of a message that we’ve all heard so many times that it seems trite. It is possible to find beauty and pleasure in even the gloomiest of days.
Days, like people, are complex. They aren’t all of one thing or another. They are comprised of many parts and many faces. The beauty that exists on a bright, sunny day doesn’t all go away when it is rainy and cold. It may be more difficult to see. It may have different colors or sounds. But beauty remains. And just like sunny days have some beauty that is exclusively theirs, so do dreary days – like the delicate flower surrounded by the crystal clear drops of water.
As we go through our day it is important to remember that. When things seem bleak and challenging we have the ability to see the parts of the day and the parts of our life that are beautiful. Those parts may seem dimmer or be more difficult to find, but they still exist.
The same is true in our relationships with others. Some people make it more challenging to find the good parts. And even those that normally show many good parts can have days where we wonder where those good parts went. If it goes on too long we may even start questioning if they exist at all. But they do.
Our challenge is to keep looking. Finding those bright spots when things are dim or people are difficult are what can carry us through. Noticing something beautiful or seeing the good in a person help us to make the choices that get us where we want to be.
So the next time the clouds roll in – figuratively or literally – be sure to look around you. Remind yourself that beauty and joy are still there. You may just have to look a little harder.
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