Dancing in the Rain
雨中的舞蹈
Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.
—Author Unknown
My husband and I had just finished having dinner at a local restaurant and were enjoying strolling through the stores in an adjacent shopping center. We went into a shop that sold handcrafted items in hopes of finding a few last-minute Christmas gifts. The scent of handmade soaps and potpourri teased our noses as we walked through the door.
There was a lot to see. Every shelf and wall was loaded with different crafters’ handiwork. As I walked through the store, I noticed a wooden plaque hanging unceremoniously on a wall. I turned to take a second look and remember shaking my head “yes” at the message printed on the plaque. Moving on, I enjoyed looking at other items in the store, but found myself being drawn back to the plaque.
Standing in front of the plaque, I felt a little like a child who, when digging through the sandbox, finds some unexpected treasure—a shiny quarter or a lost toy. Here among the other handmade items, I found a very simple, yet profound treasure hidden in a message. A message I needed.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass,” the plaque proclaimed. “It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
As I pulled my husband over and directed his attention to the plaque, I could see that he too appreciated the simple lesson the plaque shared. How often in our daily lives had we put conditions on our happiness? When we get the house paid off, then we can be happy. When things settle down with the kids, then we’ll be able to do more together. There is so little joy for the here and now in the uncertainties of the whens and thens.
Looking at the plaque, I found myself thinking back to a hot and muggy day the summer before, when I unknowingly lived the plaque’s message. Dark clouds had rolled in along the foothills of the Rockies, heavy with their burden of moisture. Rain began falling lightly by mid-afternoon, building to a downpour that filled the gutters with rushing water and then moved on as quickly as it had come.
Light rain continued to fall as I walked out to get my mail. Water was still running high through the gutters. I don’t know what came over me, but I suddenly felt compelled to do something a little crazy for my fifty-plus years.
I slipped off my shoes and stockings and began walking barefoot through the water. It was deliciously warm, heated by the pavement that had been baked by the summer heat.
I’m sure my neighbors thought that I had lost my last vestige of sanity, but I didn’t care. For in that moment, I was alive. I wasn’t worried about bills, the future or any other day-to-day cares. I was experiencing a gift—a pure and simple moment of joy!
The plaque now hangs in my living room, a Christmas gift from my husband. I walk past it multiple times each day and frequently pause to ask myself, “So, am I dancing in the rain?”
I think I am. I know I try to. I’m definitely more committed to taking time to pause and recognize and be grateful for the immense blessings that are all around me —the joys that were too often going unnoticed in my rush to future happiness. I celebrate more fully my dear blessings, such as a son with special needs learning to drive alone, the love of good friends and the beauty of spring. Yes, one step at a time, I am learning to dance in the rain!
—Jeannie Lancaster
有人说阳光能带来欢乐，那是因为他从未在雨中跳舞。
——逸名
我和丈夫刚刚在当地的一家餐馆吃过晚餐，现在正在毗连的购物中心里闲逛。我们走进一家手工艺品商店，希望能在最后的几分钟里找到圣诞礼物。当经过店门口时，手工香皂的气味和百花香气刺激着我们的嗅觉。
店里有许多值得一看的东西。架子和墙上都摆放着由工匠们制作的各色手工制品。当我在商店穿行的时候，我注意到一块木质的牌匾随意地悬挂在墙上。我转过头又看了一眼，没忘了朝着牌匾上印刷的字点头说了声“对”。我一边向前走着，一边欣赏着店里的其他工艺品，然而发觉自己仍心系那块牌匾。
站在牌匾前面，我感觉自己就像个孩子，挖着大沙箱，找那些意想不到的宝藏——一枚闪闪发光的两角五分硬币抑或一个丢失的玩具。在这里，在一堆其他手工制品中，我发现了一个隐藏在话语中简单而意义深远的宝藏，我所需要的启示。
“生活不是等待着暴风雨快过去，”牌匾上写着，“而是学习在雨中舞蹈。”当我推着我丈夫，把他的注意力引向牌匾的时候，我可以看到他同样也很感激牌匾与我们分享的小小一课。在我们的日常生活中我们是否会经常给快乐设定条件呢？当我们还完了房贷，我们就会快乐；当孩子的问题解决了，我们就能在一起做更多的事情。在对未来的不确定中，此时此地的快乐也那么少。
看着这一块牌匾，我发觉自己回想起从前一个闷热而潮湿的夏天，我不自觉地实践了牌匾上的启示。黑云从落基山山脚下滚滚而来，附着了大量的湿气。午后便下起了小雨，汇聚的水流注满了水槽，又像来时一样迅速流走。
当我去取邮件的时候，小雨还在下着。雨水仍旧在水沟中奔流，我不知道自己是怎么了，突然觉得应该为自己这五十多年做点儿疯狂的事情。
我脱掉了鞋子和长筒袜，开始光着脚在雨中行走。踩在被夏日的阳光烘烤过的路面上，温暖宜人。
我想我的邻居们一定认为我丧失了理智，但是我并不在乎这些。因为在那一刻，我真实地活着。那一刻，我不在乎钱，不在乎未来，也不在乎那些生活琐事。我正在体验一种恩赐——单纯而简单的快乐时光！
牌匾现在就挂在我的客厅里，这是丈夫送我的圣诞礼物。我每天无数次从它前面经过，无数次驻足问自己：“那么，你正在雨中跳舞吗？”
我想是的。我知道我在尝试。我更加确定，要花些时间驻足欣赏，感激我身边所有一切赐福——那些为了追寻未来的幸福而常常被忽略的快乐。我为这珍贵的赐福欢腾庆贺，就像一个有特殊需要的孩子学习独自驾驶，我庆祝着真挚的友谊和春天的美好。是的，一步一步，我学习着在雨中跳舞！
——詹妮·兰卡斯特
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