My last stroll through the rain was in New London Connecticut. I walked from a friend's house, where I was staying, to the convenience market a few blocks away. The long black raincoat slowed my body from being soaked as the warm summer rain doused my head and ran down my neck. My rope sandals quickly became waterlogged, adding weight to each footfall as I walked. Nothing I had would be destroyed by the water; the clothes were washable and to date, my skin has remained waterproof. There was no rush to get to my destination nor limit the number of drops I prevented from hitting the sidewalk. It was just a leisurely stroll through the rain.

Most often, this natural phenomenon that delivers a life-giving drink to the earth is met with curses, sprinting or huddling in the house because we may get wet. During a recent college graduation, I was reminded that withstanding an onslaught of raindrops was possible. Mid-way through the procession of graduates marching into the stadium, the sky opened up for a sustained downpour. The spectators overwhelming response was to sit it out and wait for the storm to move on. Once the phones and cameras were secured in dry purses, the attention returned to laughing at the situation and cheering on the graduates.

Two thoughts come to mind as I reflect on these situations; one, we are generally in such a rush to avoid anything that may perturb our schedule and reject these disturbances as a problem to be mitigated, vice taking the opportunity to embrace the dynamics of the world around us. Two, we can be intentional about seeking out these "discomforts" to engage and enhance our curiosity about our world. For the record, my walk in Connecticut was in 1989. Yeah, it has been a minute and I am looking forward to the next rainstorm. See you in the puddles.

Going Further: What are the regular discomforts you can revisit and seek to embrace? How do interpret these "necessary evils" to your schedule? When did you embrace the situation and make the best of it? How can you grow in dealing with these disturbances? What other questions come to mind?