The Gift of Weather
Maybe we were made for seasons?
This weekend, my Mom and I stayed up talking until 3am. We talked about life and everything in between. One of my favorite things in life is a good yap session. Cup= overflowing.
At some point, as any good Midwestern conversation does— we landed on the topic of weather. And we learned something about each other: we need weather.
What do you mean you need weather? You might be thinking… Let me set the scene.
I was telling her that on a recent trip to Arizona the weather was beautiful— like really perfect. Sunshine from dusk till dawn, not a cloud in the sky, and a perfect 80 degrees every single day. Refreshing morning walks, hot afternoons, and perfect patio evenings. And while my mental health was phenomenal, by the last day I craved a bit of weather. A good rain, a clap of thunder, hell, even a bit of gloom. Give me something.
My mom responded with, “It’s funny you say that, your Grandma thought the same thing when she lived there.”
[Context: For many years, my grandparents were snowbirds to Arizona, often spending several months at a time there.]
“She always felt she needed weather to let her be emotional. Too many sunny days in a row starts to make a person feel like they have to be perfectly happy.”
Which got us both thinking: Weather is like a permission slip to feel.
Stormy days, bright summer skies, slow overcast mornings — they create space for the full spectrum of emotions we actually experience.
This morning as I drank my coffee on the porch, I kept thinking about that conversation. The air outside is sticky and gusty — you can feel a storm brewing. And sure enough, my mood today feels slower, more subdued because of it. I tried to write a practical, how-to blog post but I couldn’t get into it.
And that got me thinking... maybe this topic would make a cool post? Do I have any cool weather photos? (As always — yes. My camera roll is full.)
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado / September 10, 2024
These photos are actually some of the coolest I’ve ever captured. Last fall on our honeymoon, Peter and I slowly drove up a questionable mountain road that overlooked a valley. No joke — it took us 20 minutes to drive a single mile.
But as promised, we made it to the top, and the views were nothing short of spectacular. We shuffled down the hill to snap a photo of the lake — only to realize that hazy cloud off in the distance was actually a rainstorm. And that "fog" was actually a WALL OF WATER moving straight toward us.
Absolutely epic.
“Peter, SMILE!!” I said abruptly, handing him the camera for my turn.
And then we BOOKED it back to the car.
Out of breath and in the nick of time, we slammed the car doors shut, it was a full-blown torrential downpour. Like step outside and you’ve taken a shower kind of downpour… plus some snow.
So, moral of the story:
When the world looks perfect every day, it can feel like there’s no room for softness, sadness, rest, or change.
I don’t think we we made to be perfectly happy all the time.
We were made for seasons.
And there’s so much beauty in those stormy days. (Photos above prove it.)
If the skies are allowed to be stormy, sunny, windy, and calm...
then maybe you are too.
