A beach vacation, time away, sunny days and sandy toes.
Those images had been swimming in our minds for a few weeks before actually heading off to North Carolina. However as our flight was landing the pilot’s message confirmed my weather app…a slight drizzle was currently coming down and more rain was expected as we were near, but not directly in the path of Hurricane Bertha. Soon after, the pouring rains began.
On day one it was fairly easy to be in good humor, remain optimistic and catch up on lost sleep.
On day two as the rain continued, disappointment reigned.
Day three left us with two stark options: Doom and gloom, or Agility.
We chose Agility. Think winter snowfall, pancakes and maple syrup, food, good books, board games and movies. It wasn’t what we’d expected for a summer vacation but we were all together and there was still fun to be had.
Day four. It’s not winter, and this really isn’t fun anymore. Two more options. Head home as my weather app tells me the weather is quite nice in Boston, or Iterate?
We chose to Iterate. After all, on days like today we don’t need sunscreen, and it’s just water coming down. We came here for the water so perhaps whether it’s falling on us, or we’re jumping in it doesn’t really matter so much. It’s warm out. We’re waterproof. Let’s go take a walk on the beach. I can still have sandy toes.
To add to my soaked body and my dampened mood was the fact that tonight was the eve before the second anniversary of my mother’s death. We walked up the beach and back down again trying to put context around life, and this particular night. And then just as the sun was about to set, I looked up and saw through the sky a partial rainbow. It was almost as if my Mom was checking in to say in her own inimitable way “tomorrow will be a sunny day”.
Day four was still overcast. Our options were now bearing down on us.
It was time to Reframe.
We only had three days left at the beach. Bertha was sending huge waves our way, and with the sun chasing off the clouds it was time to surf and swim. And then having reframed and prepared to move on, the sun began to shine, the sunscreen was needed, and the past three days seemed to fade away as quickly as the sun had dried the sand.
And almost like a poem written in the hidden quiet of time, a rainbow appeared. It covered the ocean’s breadth and took our breath away.
The philosophy of Consiium ® DC includes agility, iteration and reframing. To learn more please visit our website at ConsiliumDC.net