It tends to downpour a lot in this life I am living.
Sometimes, I feel like it is always raining in my world while everyone else is stuck on a sunny day. I have noticed that I always find myself being able to dance in the rain, though. It does not matter how hard it poured, how cloudy the sky was, or if it was 40 degrees out – I would still be dancing.
There are these different storms that pass through my life. Some are calm while others are a hurricane. Whether it is a simple sprinkle of rain or a complete flood, I always try to find the clear sky in life.
I remember this one storm that went on for what felt like a decade. At first, the flowers were blooming and the grass was green – but eventually I began smelling the familiar tar scent before it would rain. As the clouds became darker, like my mind, I started to become mentally and physically exhausted.
Right when I thought the drops were getting lighter, it began raining harder than ever before. The rain kept pouring, the wind picked up, and soon thunder and lightning started. It was so loud, I could not hear anything but the storm.
This went on for months – and still, every day, I would continue to get up and dance.
After a year of swirling, I finally decided I was done. I wanted the mushy grass to go away, and I could not take the sounds of the tree branches banging against my window anymore, like the thoughts that consume my head, begging to break out. I thought the only way to make the sounds stop was to end my dancing.
As soon as I was about to stop moving my body and swinging my hips, I spotted a rainbow in the corner of my eye. The colors were so dim I could barely even tell what it was. It was the first time I saw something other than black and white. I was relieved when I saw the lightest shade of red, and the pale orange that reminded me of a sunset. The fair shade of yellow looked like a sunflower. The tinniest bit of green that instantly reminded me of my best friend. A very dim, but bright blue, when I saw my sister's eyes. Finally, the two extremely faded purples reminiscent of my favorite flower.
The rainbow, with the weak bit of color, reminded me of the moments I loved and helped me through the storm, which soon cleared up.
When the rainbow hit my eyes, I realized that there is so much more to live for. I understood why I danced: Seeing the people I love smile, my dad surprising me with flowers, my best friend making me laugh until I could not breathe.
I believe that the tiniest moments are what made the rain clouds clear up. Mental health is a recurring storm, and I am strong enough to live and thrive through the challenges life blows my way.
