reveling in the contrast

My husband and I (Stella too) spent the weekend on our first camping trip of the season at our favorite destination on Lake Superior.   We knew there was a possibility of cold and rainy weather and on our drive up, we experienced dark clouds and bursts of rain.  We arrived late on Friday night (9 pm or so) and used our camping lantern to try to find the driest camp site to set up our tent.  Not being a night person AND always being a fair weather gal, this is usually not my cup of tea but whenever we are able to go to the south shore, I have an extra burst of energy and enthusiasm.  It is truly my home away from home.

We slept that night all bundled together in our warm, cozy tent while the sound of rain pitter pattered.  The waves to the right of us (off the lake) and the frogs to the left of us (in the woods) were the perfect lullaby - as always.

It rained all day on Saturday (and, yet, this isn't exactly true).  It rained enough to keep us close to the tent.  We spent most of the day huddled closely inside.  The rain would break just enough for us to make some coffee, take a saunter down the beach or cook a meal (the longest stint being 20 minutes or so).  

We spent the day inside the tent reading and journaling.  We took naps on and off throughout the day.

We cooked our dinner  under a shelter while jumping up and down, trying to stay warm.  That night, we were downright damp (and cold) and took an exploratory 16 mile car ride to dry out and warm up.  We heard on the car radio that temperatures were going to drop to the high 30s that night.  

Were we crazy?  We'd find out...

We slept well that night (unbelievably well considering we had napped a lot over the course of the day and it was much colder than usual) but who I am kidding?  We are always surprised at how well we sleep and how comfortable we are in our tent.  The next morning we woke to thick cloud cover and chilling temperatures.  The rain had stopped, however, and we were able to enjoy a great pot of coffee. We could see a hint of blue sky on the horizon and over the course of the morning, we watched this hint grow.  At 9 am, the cloud cover had broken and the sun made it's first appearance.  By 10 am, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

A clear blue sky on the shores of Lake Superior in the summer isn't unusual.  In fact, I have hundreds of photos documenting this.  But there is something to be said about experiencing this particular day that was different from all the rest.  It was as if we experienced a new lease on life.  We witnessed in ourselves a child-like pleasure, like we had just seen the sky and the sun for the first time.

This weekend was a series of extremes.  I still find it difficult to make sense of it all.  It's such a good reminder and a wonderful lesson though.  When we are experiencing dark moments in our life, it is extremely difficult to imagine them passing.  And then, all of the sudden, out of the blue, the thick layers of dense clouds, the dampness and downright cold take a lift and the sky opens up to bright blue with sunshine.  Life cannot help but offer a new lease, a fresh approach, a limitless amount of new possibility.

Sitting here in the comfort of my own home this morning, I am more aware than ever that life's contrast is what makes LIFE.  I am more aware than ever that having this particular weekend of contrast made my experience that much richer and deeper.  I wouldn't have wished it any other way.