Idaho’s rains usually end in May. This year we’ve seen rain in the valley and snow in the mountains in June. Lots of rain. So much rain that people are feeling frazzled – the pandemic, worried work scenarios, travels changing or being cancelled, riot/fires/looting, weddings and funerals not happening, family medical emergencies, and elder care concerns. And this list is what directly affects my family and friends. Now, the unusually rainy weather seems to be compounding their concerns and frustrations.
Yes, the gardens are growing bountifully. Gardens are a part of my nesting routines. Roses are blooming bountifully. Vegetable harvest promises to be good. Fruit trees are holding their own. Berries of all sorts are transforming into edible fruits by the day. All because of rain, abundant rain.
These seaboard, coastal, midwestern rains in our high, arid climate mean our usually count-on-it sunny days are not showing up. Lack of sunshine here affects people’s dispositions in darkening ways. Just as too much snowfall in the winter packs a mood-altering punch.
While nesting this week, consider what you can do to bring light into your spaces and faces. Turn on more lights to create indoor sunshine. Put cut garden flowers in a vase to remind yourself that the sun has been shining enough for the flowers to bloom. Try a light designed for seasonally affected people who rely on them every year – these lights really do chase away cloudy thoughts. Play happy music – as loudly as you can stand it.
“Out came the sun and dried up all the rain…” is one of the lines in the children’s Itsy Bitsy Spider song. It is followed by “and the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.” Motivation and inspiration from the stick-to-itiveness of a spider! Let’s not let the rain get us down. Find gratitude for what the rain brings, what it dampens, and what it refreshes. Let’s remind ourselves that the sun is going to shine again, bringing renewed hope and plenty of garden delights.
What are you doing this week to chase away the rain – in thought, in your home, and in your work?
Nesting is about the objects and experiences that create a sense of home. Without home, it is difficult to maintain health, find joy, or to be productive. Enjoy the Nesting series of blogs on your search for and creation of a deep sense of home. –Jana
Jana Kemp
