Maryland likes to be particularly wet. It finally makes sense when I read about D.C. being built on a swamp. When we moved here, Mr. Graff kept commenting on how green everything was--it's so green because of all the rain! Coming from our desert home in Utah, everything does seem exceptionally green!
Studly and I like to go adventuring in the mornings in the stroller. We usually go on about a three mile walk, and generally this works out great. Sometimes, though, it likes to rain on us.
One adventurous day, we were about halfway through our walk when it started to sprinkle. Studly was upset because he could not see (I had not yet figured out how get the stroller upright) so I was carrying him and pushing the stroller. Ordinarily, this is a funny enough spectacle. Why have a stroller when the baby just wants to be held? One neighbor lady looked at the pair of us and commented, "That just don't look right".
On this occasion, though, not only was I holding Studly and pushing the stroller, but the sprinkling clouds decided to pour on us. Studly howled at this point, so I tried nursing to comfort him. We were a sight. We moved slowly from one tree to another. Rain streamed down on us and I realized that it was not going to abate anytime soon and needed a new plan, so I marched out from under a tree, still nursing Studly and pushing the stroller and hoping to get home soon.
Ten steps later, totally drenched, we had a miracle! Spotting us on the sidewalk, a nice lady and her elementary-school-aged daughter stopped and offered us a ride. I gently threw Studly into the back of her car and put our stroller in her trunk. As she drove us home, she talked nicely about having a baby and nursing and how she was going over to help her friend who had just had a baby and needed a break. What a sweet lady!
Being a parent is just like that for me sometimes. I'm cruising along thinking I'm prepared and then a rainstorm comes. I run out of ideas and then ... someone offers just the right kind of help. It's my own special miracle. I'm so glad that there was someone to help me then and during other unanticipated rainstorms. I'm grateful for good people and hope I do pay it forward.
This memory comes to me because of the current overcast skies and constant drizzle. Studly and I are nice and warm inside listening to the soft sounds of falling rain. We're not out walking, and that's alright. Today, Studly has only been interested in eating, cuddling, and sleeping--he must be in another growth spurt. Growth spurts are good for a rainy days.
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