Have you ever seen the rain?

Rain lashed the trees outside my window late Wednesday afternoon and I wondered how long those pretty leaves could hang on.

Autumn is a short season around here, a flash of color and then it’s gone and the long, gray days of November stretch on.

I started to feel a little morose about the whole thing.

Rainy fall days hardly seem fair. They lack the optimism of April showers. All that water just runs over fields already harvested and through muddy yards full of soggy Halloween decorations.

Then I looked a little closer and remembered something a street photographer had said years ago. She said your camera won’t melt if you take it out in the rain, and you’ll probably get some beautiful reflection pictures.

I took another glimpse at the trees outside my house and grabbed my rain jacket.

There’s something really lovely about the way fall trees stand out against gray skies. It reminds me of some people I know who are able to maintain their sense of joy and positivity against some monstrous blows.

There is a special kind of beauty in that courage, and a contagious light.

I found a new appreciate for this old world. Maybe, that’s what seasons are meant to do.

Maybe we need a little reminder every now and then of how resilient we are and how affirming it can be to witness beauty standing tall against the rain.