The Blame-Game & !!IT's.RAINING!!

(Written Permission Pending)

Huggy and I were unexpectedly caught, half-way through one of our regular walks, in a sudden downpour. Bolts of lightning traveled horizontally across the dark sky above us, and some of them felt too close for comfort. We need to get to the lake's boat house. I'm scared and don't feel safe walking with lightning so close!!

We sprint to the boat house for shelter to stay just briefly, until the lightning lessens. We are cold, and frustrated, not looking forward to our 30-minute walk back to the car. It is prime opportunity to begin the blame-game for our predicament: It's your fault we're caught in this thunderstorm. I told you it was going to rain! Good thing I brought an umbrella, just in case.

Rather than finding blame (why is it that petulance feels so...satisfying)? it is apparent the downpour isn't going to let up soon, so we decide to make the best of it. It is scary at first (because of sporadic lightning) and our teeth are chattering from the cold, but crazy Huggy says, Let's go for it! so I hesitantly cooperate.

We continue our walk, that spontaneously morphs into a positive, Singing-in-the-Rain experience. For 30 minutes, arm-in-arm we hold each other as close as possible under a small umbrella’s meager protection. The in-sync rhythm of our steps is exhilarating, because for some reason it feels akin to dancing together; an activity I love, but never happens. An activity I would have missed had I been too afraid, or entered into the dark dungeon of, the blame-game.

We attempt to keep each other warm and relatively dry, and it is a FREE diversion from ordinary. Listening to pelts of rain hitting the shared umbrella, who cares about soaked feet? it's only water, and shoes and feet will dry!! Just make sure the camera stays protected. One of us, who suffers with hyper-vigilance, just happened to bring along a baggie for the camera. Just sayin'...

We were on a mission, two dare-devils walking to our safe and dry destination. At opportune times I couldn't help but, Debbie Reynolds-like, skip and sing in the rain! 

This 30-minute "dance," a mere speck on the timeline that represents our marriage, happened in 2013. I blogged about it back then, and this edited re-run again forever splashes through the blogosphere. A shared mission, nil blaming, and writing about it to reminisce and not forget are treasured ways to express "happiness is" this Valentines Day, and: i love you.