Sunday 10 May 2015

Dancing in the Rain

Day 70! Ten weeks!

#2 and I have gone to stay with a friend and her daughter in the country for the weekend.

He is thrilled that he doesn't have to share Mummy with his sisters for 2 whole days. And given that I usually go nowhere without 3 children, a dog and the husband in tow, a road trip a deux is strangely liberating, even if my companion is only nine years old.

I brought with me a bottle of champagne for my friend and some alcohol free beers for myself.  When I handed over the bottle, my friend explained sheepishly that she's had a horrible stomach problem and is off dairy, meat and alcohol. Poor thing.....but RESULT!

On the stairs up to my bedroom there's a wooden board hanging with a motto in it. I usually hate that sort of thing, but this one has got stuck in my head, going round and round incessantly. It reads:

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.

It struck me that for decades, at the slightest hint of a storm, I've used alcohol as an escape, an anaesthetic, a crutch, until it passes.

Feeling a bit anxious? Have a drink. Had a bad day? Pour the wine. Not sure how to deal with a major problem? Start with Chablis.

The storm blows in, we batten down the hatches, wrap ourselves up tightly and use both hands to clasp the glass of whisky.

No more. Now we need to peel off the layers, throw open the doors and run out barefoot into the rain.

The ice cold water stings your skin, the mud squelches between your toes, your hair is plastered to your head but you are alive and you are dancing!  Now both your hands are free and you can use them to touch the sky.

And the next time the rain blows in you don't feel so scared. You know you don't need the whisky. Instead of a knot of fear, there's a sense of anticipation, of exhilaration.

So, friends, there may be storms ahead of us, but we are holding hands and dancing in the rain.

Woo hoo!

SM x


13 comments:

  1. Fabulous. One of my favourite quotes. I just love your blog I look forward to it every day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Lucy! It's comments like that that make it all worthwhile! SM x

      Delete
  2. This is so encouraging and just what I needed to hear today! I have to agree with Lucy - I love your blog!!! You have such a strong voice...you need to start writing your own memoir! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love yours too WCM! And good luck with your exam tomorrow! X

      Delete
  3. Congratulation on Day 70! You deserve extra marshmallows on your hot chocolate tonight ;-) I've been dancing in the rain today. As a result of this I've cried in front of strangers, didn't disguise a bad hair day with my usual woolley hat and I didn't shout at #2 when I had to pull over quickly because he thought he was going to be sick in the car. It's been an emotional week for me but I am feeling human compassion, love and an appreciation of life. Just about to read Jasey Vale's book too. Keep up the great work! LNM x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's all part of the sobercoaster! Let me know what you think of Jason and well done! X

      Delete
  4. Great post SM. I like the thought of dancing in the rain. Congrats on day 70. A x

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love your storm analogy and it’s been buzzing round my head all day. I’m starting a list of really useful mantras and that’s definitely going on it.
    Once in an idyllic tea garden in Devon me and hubby were stuffing ourselves with cake when it started to rain. There were about a dozen or so people in the garden, everyone made minor adjustments , brollies went up, the shelter of trees was sought, but crucially everyone carried on eating their cake. It was a beautiful sight.
    This week has been a stormy one for me but thinking about it all in terms of the weather is useful. There really are some things we can’t control, just like the weather, but it doesn’t have to stop us enjoying our cake or putting our wellies on and getting out there to splash about in the puddles. Love the thought that we’re all out there, holding hands and dancing in the rain together, I can just see the look on my children’s faces! Flossie x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's beautiful Flossie. Thank you! Let us eat cake xx

      Delete
  6. I've been reading your blog here and there, slowly making my way from the start, and this post is where I am today. I just gasped out loud reading this. Tomorrow marks 5 years since one of my sisters died in a horrible accident. This quote was the theme of the eulogy at her funeral. That wooden board with that quote is hanging in my kitchen, in my parents' kitchen, in the kitchen of my other sister who gave the eulogy, whose original wooden board with that quote inspired that eulogy. That I landed on this particular post on this particular day at this particular time in my life (contemplating sobriety) gives me chills. The signs are everywhere. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome Jeanne! I'm thinking about your sister today - I'm so sorry. They say that the messages are always there, just waiting til we're ready to receive them. I must have walked past that sign many times, but now it will always mean something. More so because of you. Big hugs xxx

      Delete