“Just walk through the raindrops.”
One blustery fall day in Destrehan, LA, Mom said to me, “Hey, get ready; we need to go to Norco.” Norco was at that time a small city which is about 20 minutes from where we lived.
A trip to Norco often meant groceries, and a visit to the Ben Frankin or TG&Y. Even better, MAYBE we would eat out! In those days that entailed a pit stop at small general store that had an actual meat counter, scarfing up some fresh sliced lunchmeat, sandwich spread and a loaf of bread. All of this totaled less than 1 dollar.
My immediate enthusiasm for the journey was dampened by the slow, steady rain. Upon my stating the obvious, Mom (who was actually my paternal step grandmother) looked down with a reassuring smile and replied, “Just walk between the raindrops!” As a 5 year old with wide open ADHD, of course I tried to take it literally. I thought it had actually worked, but the power of a pronouncement from Mom was the likely the fount from which that notion had sprung. Our journey had been the 5 year old version of a most smashing success! We hit the TG&Y for some fabric, the Ben Franklin for school supplies, and the general store to eat out.
I was a problem child, by any measure of the term. My grandparents had saved me from very abusive parents, and in 1967 there existed no concept of childhood reactions to trauma. Oh, I saw a child psychologist; Dr. Dearman bore an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Rogers. I would almost wager that fact alone opened many doors to communicate with kids such as myself who otherwise wouldn’t speak at all.
The usual term was walking through the raindrops, but it was sometimes changed to run, skip, or dance. She most often said it when it was raining, evidently. There were however quite a few times where she would utter that particular encouragement without a cloud to be seen.
It rained here in North Central Kansas today, 09/15/23. Today, along any other rainy day, neither of our dogs were really with the concept of going outside. It’s a shame they can’t understand that particular admonishment.
I went to town with the sole intention of getting some rice flour, as Erin cooks gluten-free for us since excessive wheat causes my entire GI tract to become inflamed, thus causing all of me to be most miserable. I decided to stop at Moka’s Coffee and get us each a cup. I drove across the street to the Pharmacy where she works. When I parked, there was a slow and steady rain shower still falling.
Sorry so late Mom, but I finally got the epiphany I believe you wanted me to have much sooner than age 60. Walk, run, skip, and dance between those raindrops. Life is so much more than a fresh battleground every day. It is an opportunity to cast aside bitterness. It is walking through the storms that so easily beset us; it is running through those seemingly insurmountable walls that often appear out of thin air. It is skipping across the puddles that turn to raging oceans. It is dancing through the hardships with the one you love.
Thanks Mom; I love you so.
