Dancing in the Rain

I close my eyes, it is one of those great memories that brings a smile to my face and allows a peaceful feeling to settle over me.

When I was younger my dad would take my mom, my sister and me on a two week summer vacation. We’d all climb into the old station wagon for a two-day road trip, stopping a nights rest at a hotel along the way. The car would fill with music from the tape machine that belted out tunes from Kenny Rogers, The Bee Gees, Crystal Gayle, Barbara Streisand and ABBA.

Sarasota Florida. We rented a condo. Walking the sandy beach. Playing in the pool. Laughing over a family night game of UNO out on the balcony. The food… oh the food.

And the rain.

Those sunny warm rain showers.

Under the watchful eye of my dad, my sister and I were allowed to venture out and down to the empty tennis courts. Laughing and dancing in the puddles. Me and the only person I ever wanted to hang with... my closest friend.

In today’s difficult times, it is memories like this that I need to draw upon; to help get me through.

I have lived through a viral brain infection and the challenges it has brought into my life including a learning disability; the loss of my dad and soon after both grandparents, one to emphysema complications and the other, cancer. Financial stresses; health woes; my mother’s fall and acquired brain injury, a car accident that I managed to stumble away from but my car did not, and now, this pandemic. 

As I write this I know that the worry and stress and anxiety from it are not over, but I will survive. I will get through resting on the memory of dancing in the rain.

And just as we all have great memories like this to fall upon, together we will survive.