Finally, it fell. During the night, unheard. Stepping out into the garden this morning, the freshness of the air was palpable. Walking along the pavement this morning, trying to avoid getting my feet wet, I realised I wasn’t irritated by the inconvenience of wrong shoes for the day. I was so happy to see the puddles and it would have been inordinately ungrateful to complain about wet feet.
I thought about how easily I have complained about the weather in the past. Grumbling about sunshine, heat, drenching rain, intense cold. Then I find myself at other times promising I will never again complain about sunshine, heat, drenching rain, intense cold etc., etc. But I always do of course.
Those little grumbles about everyday inconsequential inconveniences are nothing to be proud of, and not to be so easily dismissed. They create a negativity which is infectious to those all around.
When I was a child, one of my mother’s favourite sayings was “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”. Excessive if taken literally, but the underlying sentiment is obviously a good one. Mussar teaches us that silence is a positive soul trait we should cultivate. Catching and stopping myself complaining about the weather is a good place to begin.
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