*Thank you to Donna of Kia Maia for allowing us to share this piece. You can see more of her content here and her website here.*
“Cry in the thunderstorm or dance in the rain,” is such a beautiful expression of choice and resilience. It captures the human experience and the way we navigate the inevitable storms of life. It offers two options: to cry, letting the weight of the storm overwhelm you, or to dance, finding joy in the chaos.
The thunderstorm represents the uncontrollable – the circumstances that hit without warning. It could be the loss of a loved one, the breakdown of a relationship, or the struggle with a personal battle, like PTSD or anxiety. In these moments, tears are a release. They’re the body’s way of purging grief, frustration, or helplessness. Crying allows us to face the storm head-on, acknowledging that we’re not invincible and that sometimes, life hurts.
Crying in the thunderstorm is not about weakness but about releasing the emotions that build up when life becomes overwhelming.
There’s also something incredibly resilient about the act of crying. It’s a moment of vulnerability, but it’s also a form of healing. When you cry in the storm, you’re not running away from it. You’re standing in the midst of it, allowing yourself to feel, to grieve, and to process. Sometimes, we need to cry. The storm demands it.
On the other hand, dancing in the rain is an act of defiance. It’s the choice to embrace the chaos rather than be consumed by it. Dancing in the rain doesn’t mean the storm isn’t there – it’s still raging all around you. But instead of purging the tears, you find a way to move through it with grace and acceptance. Dancing in the rain is the ability to find light in even the darkest of times. It’s not about denying the pain or pretending the storm isn’t real, but rather about choosing to find moments of peace or happiness despite the storm.
When we dance in the rain, we reclaim our power. The storm can no longer dictate how we feel or how we move through life. We’re not passive recipients of whatever life throws at us – we’re active participants, finding joy and strength in the most unexpected places. This can be as simple as finding a silver lining on a bad day or as profound as finding purpose or meaning in the midst of a life-changing crisis. Dancing in the rain is a form of resilience that says, “I will not let this storm break me.”
So, which are you? A crier or a dancer? Maybe you’re both, or maybe it depends on the storm. What’s important is not how you respond at any given moment, but that you allow yourself to feel and move through the storm in a way that’s true to you. Life’s storms are inevitable, but how we choose to navigate them is where our power lies. Whether you cry or dance, the important thing is that you keep going, knowing that every storm eventually passes.
It’s a reminder that we don’t have to be strong all the time – that feeling broken for a moment doesn’t mean we’re broken forever.
-Donna
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