In my contemporary romance, The Perfect Lap,
Ella’s aunt teaches Ella to “dance in the rain!” I love this concept and the images
it invokes of a child gleefully skipping through puddles and of a couple adoringly
slow dancing through a spring rain.
In The Perfect Lap, Ella’s parents are
perfectionists. As a child, no matter what Ella did, it wasn’t good enough for
her mom and dad. Ella could have responded with depression or by berating
herself, but her aunt taught her a better way. Whenever Ella would complain,
her Aunt Mindy would guide her to, “dance in the rain.”
In this simple phrase, Ella learned to look for silver
linings in every situation. This phrase popped into my mind earlier this week, perhaps
because it has been raining in east Tennessee or maybe it’s associated with the
coronavirus.
Even though I’m currently at home and practicing
social distancing, I pressed myself to find the silver linings and came up with
a list of positives.
I’m being less wasteful by using dishrags and
cleaning cloths instead of paper towels, and I’m reusing and recycling whenever
I can. I’ve finished many tasks on my To-Do list that felt impossible to
complete a couple of months ago. I am meditating and exercising more often. I’m
practicing present moment awareness—listening to the birds sing, marveling at
the sun casting shadows on the mountains, enjoying my dog’s joyful wiggle-jiggle—and
I’m finding time to just be. I plan to continue these positive practices even
after the coronavirus runs its full course.
How about you…can you think of ways to “dance in
the rain” at this very moment? Maybe you have home renovations you haven’t had
the time to complete. Or you’ve wanted to learn a new language or take an
online class. Perhaps you’ve found time to reconnect with an old friend or
you’ve begun painting again.
Despite the ongoing chaos in our world and the
doom and gloom in the news, Spring has ushered into our lives, offering beauty
and a sense of normalcy. Brown grass has transformed into a beautiful
Kelly-green, trees are budding, flowers are blooming.
As Spring reminds us of new beginnings, let’s remember
to look for the silver linings...and let’s join together to dance in the rain!
This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author
of women’s fiction and contemporary romance blended with new age
spirituality.
***Now Available on Audio!***
The Perfect Lap, A Racing Hearts in
Serenity Romance—2019 Reader’s Favorite Contemporary Romance
Finalist: His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him.
When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line? https://adbl.co/2WAsOnp
***New Release!***Restart in Bristol, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—He’s a hot mess. She wants
stability. Will these childhood sweethearts risk another pass at love? https://amzn.to/37cCw1b
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Recommended
Reading:
Disclosure:
The above links to recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book
through these links, I receive a small commission on the sale. I’ve recommended
these books because they’ve been meaningful to me personally and not because of
the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, I need to identify
these as affiliate links.
