All of us fly off the handle periodically. Life gets the better of us, and we become frustrated. Our anger rumbles deep within us and comes spewing out like a volcano. Our hot angry lava covers the people around us. Even though this explosion may settle the deep discomfort that was roiling inside, we’ve now got a new problem on our hands: the aftermath. We’ve covered our family, our friends, and ourselves with hot, angry emotional lava. And, just like the destruction that lava leaves behind, our anger once spewed cannot be easily cleaned up.
We may think the heat is bad, but would it be any better if jagged, icy shards came flying out from us? If we spew a biting cold that freezes those around us, is this what we want to do to others? Is that kind of reaction any better?
We’re all learning in real life, due to climate change, what extreme temperatures do to our world. Droughts, damaging catastrophic storms, temperature so low we can’t even expose our skin outside are becoming what we see regularly. The same kinds of things happen to our relationships if we have extreme emotional reactions to situations in life. The damage may not be obvious at first, but we often see it later when everyone else’s shrubs and flowers bloom, but ours have just turned brown and brittle.
When you feel yourself having strong cold or hot feelings, consider taking a deep breath and thinking of the rainwater of summer. Like Goldilocks, it feels just right. This idea of rainwater is one you can visualize when you feel yourself getting ready to have an extreme emotion because picturing it can help you change your emotional reaction. Take a deep breath. Imagine the feel of rainwater on your hands or forehead.
This idea of rainwater for “just right” reactions is one Deedee Cummings has used in her children’s books, specifically Like Rain Water. It is an idea that is good for adults to consider but also one that children can understand as well. We can all learn to better recognize and manage the feelings we have so that we aren’t covering our loved ones in ice or fire.