| Everything is beginning to blossom again--finally. As | | | | instead of anger and resentment. |
| they sing, "When April showers may come your | | | | Anger and resentment comes, I think, when |
| way, they bring the flowers that bloom in May." I | | | | people who haven't learned to sing the song are |
| remember that line from a song that I used to | | | | caught in the storms of life. They don't realize |
| sing when I was a child. | | | | that the fruit of love, beauty and strength will |
| When we were children we used to sit out on the | | | | come about as a result of these hardships, if they |
| screened-in front porch on rainy April days and | | | | will allow themselves to look forward to |
| just pray that it would stop raining. We wanted | | | | something beautiful at the end. If they are willing |
| play outside. Sometimes it got so bad that we | | | | to become fully engaged with life again after the |
| couldn't wait. We would put on our shorts and go | | | | storm they will see the fruit themselves. |
| running out into the rain. My mother wasn't too | | | | We used to just sit there and wait for the storm |
| crazy about that though. We quickly learned that | | | | to pass when I was young, but as soon as the |
| she wasn't through some miraculous form of | | | | rain stopped we were ready. We would run out |
| mother communication, (something known as the | | | | into the streets with pop- sickle sticks, use them |
| holler) and we stopped. We still looked outside and | | | | as boats and hold races against each other in the |
| waited though, and then somebody would begin | | | | water that was still running down the gutters. We |
| to sing that song. | | | | used the rains that had been so horrible a few |
| As we joined in we looked forward to the | | | | moments ago as something to derive pleasure |
| beautiful sunny days in May when we wouldn't | | | | from, even as we often use the traces of that |
| have to worry about the rain. We realized, even | | | | which has caused us pain as a source of strength, |
| as children, that the rain had to come so that | | | | courage, and empathy toward others who may |
| flowers could blossom. Little did we know at the | | | | be suffering. Suffering does not necessarily come |
| time that that was the secret of life. Sometimes | | | | so that it may bring out the good in people, but |
| rain and hardship would have to come, so that we | | | | people can always, if they are willing, bring out the |
| could blossom. This is usually the case with the | | | | good in suffering. |
| beautiful (I mean on the inside) people we know. | | | | This only happens, however, when we do as the |
| These people have usually been through the rain | | | | second line of the song says: Just keep on looking |
| and the storms of life. They have had some type | | | | for that sunshine and listen for its song, whenever |
| of hardship and they have survived without | | | | April showers come along. As long as we can do |
| becoming angry and bitter. In their case it has | | | | this, we will always prosper. Whomever seeks |
| brought forth the fruit of patience and kindness, | | | | joy, deep down within their heart, will find it. |