Dancing in the Rain…

One of my favorite quotes is,“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” On September 5, 1992, when my accident happened, it was literally raining outside. That day I also woke up to the reality of my own personal storm.  When life blows you down the easy thing to do is give up on it. To sit inside and watch the rain while we hope for it to one day pass. Meanwhile our time here begins passing us by. For years I hated it when it would rain outside, in the literal and the figurative sense, but over time I learned to appreciate it. Without the rain flowers and trees wouldn’t grow, fresh water wouldn’t allow rivers to flow, or lakes to fill. Rain is very significant. It stimulates growth.  Just as I learned to appreciate the actual rain I also learned to value the storms in life. They, too, can be significant and have an impact on our existence and bring growth within ourselves.

Before my accident I was a dancer. I started taking dance classes when I was four years old and absolutely loved it. When I became paralyzed from the shoulders down, I wondered if I’d ever dance again. I discovered you can either sit inside and allow the rain to hold you back or you can get out there and dance the best way you can even though it’s raining. Whether you choose to participate or not, the way of the world will keep on moving. Dance the best way you can and get a little wet, it’s not going to hurt you, it’ll only help you. I may be paralyzed, but I dance with what movement I have, I dance vicariously through others, and I continue to dance through life. After all, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”