The Fab Gal

"The way I see it, if you want the sunshine you gotta put up with the rain. - Dolly Parton

There's a time to hide out for shelter, and there's a time to buckle up and keep moving forward. I was going all philosophical on this idea, on life as I was driving home from movie night at my best friend's house and got caught in a rainstorm. When I'd left, the sky had been calm and clear, but all of the sudden I was on a highway I barely recognized anymore because of the sudden downpour (and I'm not exaggerating - my windshield wipers were about to give up and flee to the desert). I thought momentarily of pulling over, but that didn't seem like a much more appealing (or even safe) option. I decided if I just kept driving, slowly and cautiously, soon enough I would be exactly where I wanted to be - in bed, headphones in, listening to Selena Gomez and quickly falling asleep. And in that moment I realized that's just how it is with everything in life - sometimes you find yourself in a storm, even if things looked so clear to begin with, and it's easy to be overwhelmed. But it won't last forever.

I guess people have probably used that comparison for ages, that bad times in life are like a storm. But what I only just realized is that even journeys to places you want to go, or ones that start out beautiful, can involve times of trouble. And I love storms.

My mom said something similar to me once - I thought it was important so I wrote it down, and recently thought of it again. She said that sometimes you have to struggle through the hard parts of life or do things you don't like because it allows you to get to where you want to be or do what you want to do later. She was referring to law school, her own personal storm. I imagine it's the same way for other things - breaking bad habits, training for a marathon, or overcoming self-doubt to take on a new challenge, whether it's writing a novel or just talking to a boy you like.

Perseverance, or being able to keep going in spite of challenges and obstacles, is what it's all about. Being able to pause, take a deep breath, and keep going. There are two other Ps that I think are also important - patience and perspective. Patience is a virtue, or so I've heard, but it's one that I am only beginning to acquire. I don't mean patience in the annoying "Be patient, wait your turn" kind of way you know it when you're little, although it's kind of like that. I looked it up in the dictionary, to make sure I actually knew what I was talking about, and it described patience as "an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay." I think that's perfect. Instead of flipping out or throwing your cards in or whatever you want to call it, you hold on. Really, it all comes back to having faith - in life in general, but especially in yourself. You sometimes just have to wait.

Then there's perspective. This is where, when things get difficult, you make sure you're actually seeing them clearly. I used to chide myself for walking around like there was some dark cloud over my head. But maybe I was just looking at it from the wrong direction. I do live under a storm cloud. But I'm the lightning. I have the power - it's limited, it won't last forever, and it can certainly be destructive. But it's mine. And I get to do what I want with it.

If you think you know where you're going, you can still move forward, and maybe you'll make it where you were headed all along. The drive just had more adventure than you planned.

"I am not afraid of storms for I am learning to sail my ship." - Louisa May Alcott