Lesson #25: Sometimes It Rains On Your Parade

The weather and I have never really reconciled our differences. Growing up in Canada I abhor the cold; if I never see snow again it will be too soon. And inclement weather seems to dog my every turn, every vacation, every attempt at sun seeking. Last year in Rome it poured buckets day after day. And today in St Martin as we set out for a lovely deserted sandbar by ferry, ate our lunch under the blazing hot sun, shielded by parasols and palapas and 60 SPF, it started to pour and it hasn't really let up. I have no doubt it will rain on my birthday when all I want is to lie on a beach, sip some rum based cocktail and pretend that this isn't happening. Crawl into a cave or under a rock somewhere and disappear. Truly. I know no one will believe me, since I am the most extroverted of extroverts. But it's true. Birthdays make me crazy. I try to plan and hope for the best that things will be incredible, only my expectations have always been so high that year after year I cannot help but be disappointed. I can't really remember a great birthday. One that wasn't fraught with bad weather (no matter how hard I try to escape the northeast in November), bad food, failed plans, friends that don't show up, terrible gifts from people who have known me my whole life (I know, I need to keep practicing gratitude). But you know, that's life: it's what happens when you're making other plans. You can't plan. You can't control or predict. This jolly group of Frenchmen were spying on us at Ilet Pinel today as we gazed at the sky, trying to discern what our chances of sun were or where to best situate our beach chairs. One said "Hey, are you girls scientists?" close enough. They laughed at our calculations and general type A-ness. I had to laugh as well. It's the Caribbean. It rains. Never for long. Those are the two guarantees. As in life. You will have good times and you will have bad. How much of each and when they will occur is anyone's guess. But do your best to control the things you can, and always carry an umbrella.