Dearest Readers,

It’s been grey and wet here in Whitehorse for a few days in a row now. We needed rain badly so no one dares to complain about it. I was on a hike last weekend and the mountain lichen was crunching underneath our feet like crispy cereal. This wet weather is very welcome.

After almost a year of posting blogs it’s sometimes difficult to remember whether I’m repeating myself or if I’ve told the story elsewhere so if you’ve heard this one already, forgive me.

When I was on Spiritual Retreat at the Naramata Centre last February I met a man on the road and we began to have a conversation. Of course, being human as we are, our discussion began with the weather. There was a light rain falling and the man found it very pleasant. He was from a dry place where rain was scarce.

“It’s so fresh,” he said, taking a deep breath and smiling. “I just love this freshness.”

Fresh? It was the first time I’d ever heard anyone describe a dull, dreary, rainy and grey day as fresh. I myself have always struggled to love rain. But when this man said that word and took that breath and smiled that smile I could feel the freshness he was talking about. The winter green around us got brighter and the cool air suddenly felt rich and moist.

After that episode I am forever feeling the freshness of the rain. That man’s positive attitude completely shifted my experience of dreary weather.

Talk about a fresh perspective.

Inspiring Message of the Day: Is there something in my life that needs a fresh pair of eyes? What can I look at differently today? I will find a way to gain a fresh perspective on something I have previously viewed with disdain.