Some days instead of waiting out the rain, you just have to ride through it. On my way back from Kwaj to Roi today, I stepped off the plane and into the dark, cloudy skies surrounding the island. I debated for a second, only a second, and then decided I could ride my red, high handled Roi bike, which was a Valentine’s present from my boyfriend, through the rain, and I took off. At first, I tried to outrun the rain. Sometimes out here, if you can just get a little bit ahead of it, you miss all but a few drops hitting your clothes and eyes. I’ve called friends at the golf course on one end of the island of Kwajalein from the housing area on the other end to see how they are playing in the rain, and I am told, “it’s not raining here, is it raining there?” We can have a downpour all centered around 1 mile of the island while the other 2 miles stay hot and dry.
It’s fascinating, but today, that was not the case. As I rode, the rain got heavier and heavier until finally, I found myself slowing down and watching the sheets of rain blow in ripples across the asphalt. It was exhilarating. I let out of couple of whoops, enjoying the cleansing drench I was receiving. It made me think of my boys and how much fun they would have riding in the rain with me. They always love it even more when the adults are willing to participate in that type of child like fun with them. And for kids, there’s something about rain and water in particular.
When I ran the before and after school program on the island, I would occasionally allow the last few kids left at the end of a rainy day to play in it. It’s one of the most joy-filled activities I’ve ever watched kids participate in, running and jumping in puddles, sliding and swinging in the rain, making soppy sand pies and getting wetter and wetter by the second. I couldn’t fully participate in this while at work, but I got as much out of it as anyone because it made my heart smile to see them so happy. And I felt that again today while riding in the rain.
It’s the simple things that make the world go around...I remember one year when my mom was struggling to make ends meet, and she had expressed an interest in getting a yard sprinkler to a friend, but it was never something she would spend money on herself because it was not a necessity. So, one day her friend came by with a sprinkler, and that one simple, inexpensive wish being fulfilled gave her so much joy. The little things are what we will remember in the end...an encouraging word or compliment from a friend, a smile or hug from a child who sensed you needed it, a beautiful sunrise or sunset, a scoop of your favorite ice cream, a photograph from a treasured time or memory in your life, these are the things that keep us going when nothing else can. For me today, having lunch with a good friend, hearing my kids’ laughter over the phone, and riding in the rain are the little things that make it all worth while, all the sacrifices, the long work days, the isolation of living on a tiny atoll, and the heartbreaks and challenges experienced to do what’s best for my family and to grow my own character are all worth it because some days, riding through the storm refreshes and rekindles the fire inside of you instead of putting it out.
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