Learning to dance in the rain

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” Vivian Greene

I purchased a small canvas with the above quote about three years ago, as I thought it was a simple yet motivating decor piece. I always placed the canvas on top of my desk at Siena as a visual reminder to keep going when things got stressful or overwhelming. Now, it’s surrounded by pictures on my Northern Irish shelf, making my room a wee more homey. I didn’t expect it to have such a literal meaning in my life recently.

The territory of Ireland and Northern Ireland is often referred to as the “Emerald Isle” because it’s so green and rich of color. You could only guess why…because it rains so much. Oddly, I haven’t found it to be as rainy as some rumored it to be *knock on my wooden desk*. However, there certainly have been some unexpected changes in weather when I’ve been about.

After a recent coaching session at Holywood Golf Club, Dom and I had the opportunity to play 9 holes with some of the junior members. Prior to teeing off, I commented how nice of a day it was and how nice the sun felt beaming onto my skin. One of the juniors quickly remarked, “You really shouldn’t have said that.” Sure enough, on the fourth hole (not even an hour later) cloud coverage engulfed the blue sky and it started to rain. On the other hand, when we ventured to Giants Causeway it was a mucky, chilly day. Preparing myself to dance in the rain I brought my rain jacket and wore my wellies. Fortunately, when we arrived at the Causeway it was brilliantly sunny and warm.

The weather hasn’t been the only thing that has been patiently teaching me how to fare a storm. At Siena, I had a daily routine of attending class, hitting the library and then heading to practice. Here, it’s been slightly different as I only have class twice a month. Yes, you read the correctly, twice a month. Nearly a month and a half in, I am still trying to build a consistent routine that can sometimes change as quickly as the weather. Between cancellations/additions to coaching sessions or having to spontaneously meet with my golf team, I’ve had to learn to dance around what I thought would be my daily schedule. Even though the Northern Irish are more laid back and I still find myself making adjustments, I’ve been reminding myself of the bigger picture; that I’m here to help lead, direct and coach kids and young adults towards a more positive path. There will be storms along the way, but it’s all about navigating my way around and making the most of the changes that arise. Maybe one day I’ll live in a sunny paradise where it never rains, but for now I’m going to do my best to continue to learn how to dance in the rain.

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