03/30/2026
A few days ago, I went out for a walk on what began as a warm, but cloudy, early spring day. After I had gone quite a distance, a gentle rain began to fall. Even though I was starting to get wet, it felt good to be out. I looked around at the streams running in the woods, heard the birds chirping in the trees, and saw crocuses beginning to bloom. It was a little slice of heaven.
In time, the rain began to fall hard, and I was getting wet. My windbreaker and jeans were soaked, and water was running off my baseball cap. But because it was so warm and I was experiencing such peace, I didn’t mind that I was getting drenched. In fact, it felt wonderful. As I continued, my sneakers and then socks became saturated. Crazily, it felt good to be out in the pouring rain.
I thought about this for a bit and remembered that as a kid, I loved going out puddle stomping with my brothers. Our goal was to stomp in the puddles as hard as we could and direct the spray toward each other. The wetter we got one another, the better. These were fun times, especially to share with my brothers. It was great to be a kid.
That day when I was out for a walk in the rain was a great day, too. It made me think there are times when we all need to be kids again and do those crazy things that make no sense and are nothing but fun. They bring us great joy and inner peace. Over the coming days, I invite you to remember back to your childhood and something you did that you just loved. If you are able, go ahead and do it again. Get wet and have fun! If not, hold tight to those memories and let them speak to your heart and spirit. Relish those experiences and let those long-ago memories fill you with abundant happiness.
If you’re willing, Chaplain Kate and I would love to hear your stories. We’d even be willing to share one of ours. Just ask your nurse or provider to reach out to us. Or, you can call us. The number for Spiritual Care is (315) 464-4687. We look forward to hearing from you!
Peace and blessings,
Chaplain Tom
