As I was driving around this week in the rain on my new tires, I had a flood (I crack myself up!) of rain-related thoughts pouring (hahaha) through my brain. So often rain is perceived as a negative, but feeling safer now that my car had tread on the ground, I wanted to turn that around (my perceptions, not the car!).
When challenged with happy rain thoughts, Singing in the Rain came to mind! Who could not be happy when thinking of that song and the incredible dance number? Okay, perhaps Gene Kelly who was terribly sick as he filmed it, and the conditions were horrible. We all salute you for your sacrifice, Mr. Kelly. Thank you for that piece of art!
From there my mind jumped to Alanis Morissette and my desperate need to reiterate what so many have already said that rain on your wedding day is not ironic! (The ironic thing is that none of the examples in her song are ironic!) In fact, in France, the consolation for having a damp wedding is the proverb: Mariage pluvieux, mariage heureux. (Rainy Wedding, Happy Marriage).
The fabulously stylish French made my mind leap to the words of my advice my mom gave me years ago. I was about to participate in the domestic student exchange program during college and spend a semester at the University of Alabama. The campus was located about an hour and a half from my grandparents’ house, and I knew I would be seeing a lot of them during my five month stay.
As she was driving me to the airport, my mom was giving me all sorts of motherly wisdom, which ended with, “You are not made of sugar, so you will not melt. Do NOT let my mother make you wear one of those stupid plastic rain bonnets!”
[Amazon Affiliate links at work! I’m so going to earn a million dollars with this!]
Sure enough, the first time I was with Grandma when it was raining, she pulled a spare bonnet out of her purse for me. I related verbatum my mom’s command. Grandma laughed. Just thinking of that event that was more than 20 years ago (OMG! How is that possible?!?!?!?) made the rainy day bright.
What are some of your favorite rainy day memories?
Grown Up, Now What? 
Ah – that Singing in the Rain dance? Isn’t that the best, most classic gem ever? Love that. I do like a rainy day. We have lots of snow days here in Colorado but rainy ones are elusive. And drivers here are funny. They drive like proverbial bats out of hell when it’s snowing and slick, but slow to a crawl when it rains. I guess it’s what you feel you’re comfortable with. Funny – the rain hat. My grandmas both wore one too. And those little rubber things they’d put over their shoes. I think men used to do that too. Was it a comment on their time and frugality? They took very good care of what they had and would protect belongings so they didn’t need to be replaced. Use it up and wear it out, you know?
LikeLike
In Southern California, we get very few rain days and no snow days. When it does rain, there is very much a “sky is falling” mentality. Living in England taught me to appreciate sunshine and not to be as disturbed by the rain.
In talking to my mom, evidently after my grandma passed away, my mom found 6 of those plastic rain bonnets!
LikeLike