The rain has been falling. What happens after the rain?

It’s funny how often I don’t wonder about where the expressions originate, I use them because feels like they were always a part of my vocabulary. This week, Longfellow said it well…Into each life some rain must fall. A lot of rain has fallen this week and not in the metaphorical sense.

I live in the south, and it’s still hurricane season. I live inland so we don’t usually get a direct hit with lots of wind and rain. This week though, there were huge thunderstorms and then hurricane Helene swirled through wreaking havoc. We knew the storm was coming, but you can’t be prepared for exactly what will happen because well, we don’t know the future.

So what happened? Rain, wind, floods, property damage, and power outages. The other thing that happened seems surprising, but is not, we just forget sometimes. The storm also brought kindness, generosity, and a sense of community.

Yes, I watched news reports about the devastation and damage of the storm. In the next moment though, the journalist showed neighbors helping neighbors. People checking on one another using boats in flooded neighborhoods. Helping hands when trees fell on houses. Many individuals and organizations offering food, shelter and comfort. Not quite the apocalypse is it?

What’s interesting to me is that people that may not talk to each other normally, suddenly help each other in a crisis. The crisis brings people together for a short time, but then all go back to their regular lives. Where did the kindness and generosity go?

When the crisis/event is over, we can go back to our own lives and say “I did my part.” Did we though? A hurricane is a good example. When the clean up is done, do the neighbors still help each other? Do they still speak? Is our kindness to one another just a “one and done”?

I have many questions and not many answers. I love that people help each other in a crisis, but what about our day to day life? Are we kind, generous, and helpful every day? Into each life some rain must fall and it arrives on all fronts, in all areas of our life, many days in our lives.

My challenge to you today is to be the you that you are when there’s a hurricane or a major life event. What comes after the rain (actual or metaphorical) is what counts. Today, be the person who shows up to lend a helping hand, to comfort, to listen. You are the sunshine after the rain. Repeat each day and you will find that more kindness, generosity, and goodness enters your life too.