One of the truly beautiful things about this life is the abundance of ways that we might choose to replenish and rejuvenate our spirit. Often, the soothing balm to our low spirits is as simple as a brief romp through nature to see the changing leaves in their final riot of colour or enjoying a steaming hot drink in the cooler weather. Sometimes, we require more robust efforts to lift our hearts and must call in for reinforcements from those near and dear to us, relying upon the good humour, conversation, and company of those we love best to make the world seem that much brighter. And occasionally, life reminds us that even in the most unexpected moments, especially in the messy, imperfect ones, joy still finds its way in. I learned this firsthand last month.
As a final farewell to summer, my husband, a few close friends, and I booked a holiday just outside Toulon in the South of France. Our plan was simple: to soak up every last drop of sunshine before autumn took hold. I was exhausted after a long stretch of busy weeks and had pinned all my hopes for renewal on this trip, lazy days by the sea, wine and laughter under golden skies, long swims, soft sand, and good food shared with even better company. It sounded like precisely what I needed to nourish every aspect of my life that had lately been somewhat neglected.
All of us were keen to see what the local activities were, and we found a rugby match that would be taking place on the second evening of this idyllic holiday. Delighted, we snapped up tickets and congratulated ourselves on our good fortune, what could be more perfect?
By the time we sat down for dinner before the game, storm clouds had begun to gather, thick and dark. We paid them no mind. Sheet lightning illuminated the night as we tucked into our meal, and we laughed it off, charmed by the drama of it all. How thrilling! we said, what a backdrop for the match!
When the skies opened and the rain began to fall in fast, unrelenting drops, we were still having a whale of a time. We giggled and shrieked and ran into the team store to seek a little cover and to purchase some scarves and foam fingers. Climbing the flooded steps to our seats, we were already drenched but deliriously happy. The thunder rolled into rhythm with the pounding drums from the home crowd, the whole stadium caught between chaos and celebration. The pitch was quickly transforming into a lake beneath the thick curtains of cascading rain, but we stayed, giddy with the absurdity of it all.
Eventually, of course, the match was called off. Reality set in as we made our way out through the lower levels of the stadium, wading through murky, shin-deep water. Outside, the streets had been transformed into veritable rivers; plastic barriers drifted by like abandoned boats. We took shelter under a narrow overhang, watching cars inch through water that reached nearly to their windows. Thunder cracked directly above us, and it hit me, we were in the middle of a flash flood, in a hilly French city, with no way to get home.
We never did make it back to our place that night. Instead, we were rescued by the kindness of a local taxi driver, a couple of vacant hotel rooms, and a hot chocolate vending machine that restored nearly every bit of warmth we craved.
In the days that followed, once the sun returned and our shoes finally dried, we couldn’t stop talking about it, the storm, the laughter, the sheer adventure of it all. Around the dinner table, forking into our smiling mouths the roasted potatoes and grilled fish we had prepared together, we kept saying how lucky we were: to have been safe, to have been together, and to have found joy even in the middle of a downpour.
Because sometimes, the richest nourishment doesn’t come from perfect plans or a stretch of peaceful afternoons. Sometimes it comes from being fully present, even when everything goes sideways, and realizing that warmth, laughter, and gratitude can turn any storm into something beautiful. And those are the moments to cherish.
