Nothing but grey skies

“Sometimes rain and cloudy skies are really blessings in disguise”

Oregon is known for its grey days and temperamental rain. When the sun does appear in the sky, it is bright, so bright I have to wear shades (and yes, I did mean to use the line for the Cory Hart song). I love the sun, but I love the grey more. There is something comforting about the sky when it becomes neutral and hovers like a cozy blanket. My eyes enjoy the break for the bright computer screens and florescent lights.

So today, as I sat at my desk, on the third floor of Minthorn, I kept the lights off and took a few minutes to focus on the grey blanket overhead. I do that a lot. I like sitting in the dark and looking out onto the quad through the big windows behind the monitor on my desk. This afternoon, I was gifted with a show of temperamental snow. I ran outside to record the big flakes of snow and stood listening to the joy of others as they danced, skipped, and tried to catch the flakes on their tongues. The grey sky rained white onto the mud. The temperature was not cold enough for the flakes to stick and the big flakes only lasted five minutes, but the brief snow shower was a gift I will never forget.

I watched a dear friend unabashedly stick her tongue out to catch a snow flake. I took a picture–not to share with anyone but to have reflect on the joy in her being and remember to do the same.

This was my last Monday of classes as an undergraduate. I could let the pressure and stress get to me but after my time in the snow, I choose to focus on the small moments, like rejoicing in a brief snow shower under grey clouds in the temperamental Oregon weather.