My brother and I recently took 5 of our nieces and nephews, ranging in age from 8 to 17, on a camping trip. The weather forecast for the first day was calling for an afternoon of pouring down rain. Camping in the rain is not usually my idea of a good time. In fact, it is pretty high on my list of things to avoid.
I thought about changing the plans, but I could never disappoint the kids who were all looking forward to getting together. “Being positive” is usually my middle name, so it was a chance for me to walk my talk. I forced a smile on my face and “just did it”. The best I could do was to get there early so we could get the tents up while it was still dry. So we piled into the cars and got on our way!
The kids had no sooner set off on a little hike (without the rain coats their mothers had carefully packed) when the rain started. My brother and I took shelter under the tarp and enjoyed a cold drink, some catching up, and mother nature at her finest. It was a warm summer day and to the rest of our crew the rain didn’t seem to matter in the least. In fact, the kids actually enjoyed their walk in the rain.
Once the rain finally stopped we inspected the tents. Apparently in our rush to get our tent up we didn’t quite find the highest ground for one of the tents and a lot of water had collected all around and in the tent. The good news was that I was camping with the right people. They knew how to climb trees to hang tarps really high, they brought extra supplies with them in case of just such an emergency as the small pond that had formed in our tent, and they were ever so willing to jump in and aid an aunt in distress. In a matter of a couple of minutes they had relocated the tent to higher ground and life was good again.
This was one afternoon where I could have fallen victim to some pretty serious “stinkin thinkin” and been miserable. But, when I looked around, I saw that I was surrounded by people who were completely unaffected by the rain and actually really happy to be in that moment. I was so very grateful for their attitudes (not to mention their excellent camping skills).
Attitude really is everything! Not just your own, but also that of those around you. Who are you spending your time hanging out with and what impact are they having on your attitude? I highly recommend hanging out with a bunch of great kids (or anyone who remembers how to play and have fun), in a forest on a warm rainy day.
Guilty as charged. Negativity seems to be my thing as the years go by. Instead of thinking about the beauty of autumn colors I focus on the season that follows. But there is beauty even in the coldest, snowiest winter if you look for it.