The Gift Of Walking On An Utterly Dreary Day
Trust in the Rhythm of Coming Back to Yourself
Walking Notes:
I got a late start today. The lack of light shining in my bedroom window at 5:45 am gave me a little leeway in hitting the road on time for this morning’s miles. Still, I’ve got to shift into the summer spirit of getting out of bed before sunrise otherwise I risk triggering those heat migraines early in the day.
It’s an utterly dreary morning.
What I have discovered about utterly dreary mornings is that they are the perfect time to let stuff popcorn in my brain that I haven’t allowed much conscious thought. The glittery, sparkling sun and breathtaking blue sky usually pull my attention away from my inner thoughts toward getting lost in the illusion of a perfect external world.
Dreary days are perfect for being alone with yourself and your thoughts, and that’s why I think people don’t like them much.
But dreary days have a special kind of beauty, more of a deep felt sense created by the dense cloud cover diffusing direct sunlight. These misty morning walks feel moody like me, as raindrops plop and puddle, muddying otherwise dry dirt trails so one must slow down or risk slipping.
On dreary days, rain gives us a chance to wash, clean, clear out what we’ve been holding on to internally, whether those things dissolve from the grip of our mind or emotions as we walk.
But even on dreary days, white clouds puffs create striations between the layers of gray. Some are darker, some lighter. Yet the greening grass, budded leaves, yellow pansies, and purple Japanese irises perched on slender stems pop against the drab. Color, life, and value do exist on rainy days. They simply require a little more investigation, a little more observation, and a little less expectation.
The thing is—if you roam about long enough in the dreary, the overcast, the cloudy, drab, and drizzly, the rhythm of nature will slowly begin to slide aside those clouds in favor of soft slivers of sunlight. Maybe not the brilliant sunshine of unicorns and rainbows, but enough to get by.
There is a rhythm to the clouds, a rhythm to the rain, and a rhythm to life. If we can immerse ourselves and trust in the experience of the dreary despite the dreary without wishing it away for sunny days, it won’t be long before the dark sky lightens with waves of sun rays that highlight wings in flight and dries mud into healed solid earth again.
Dreary days may not be what we want, but they’re often what we need. Venture out on a dreary day walk and find the light that exists within.
Happy walking,
