The town had been going through a long, dry and warm spell. Grass had turned yellow, the rivers were very low, and the air felt dry, still and tired. And now, the talk of the town was about drought, and about how badly the land needed some rain.
Twelve-year-old Sam was especially worried. He didn’t like the way the plants looked, or how the cracks in the fields kept getting wider. By now it had been 33 days since it last rained. Sam already knew this, since he tracked each dry day carefully in his notebook. He'd draw a little sun symbol for every one.
One afternoon, Sam walked with Jordan in a local park, a neighbour and family friend, their feet crunching underneath the parched grass. They often walked together, which helped Sam feel calm.
Jordan: The weather forecast say there’ll be rain by Friday.
Sam: But rain is bad, isn’t it? It seems to make everything wet and messy.
Jordan: That’s one way you can look at it. But rain is also very important, since it helps the trees, plants, crops, and flowers grow. Without it, nothing can grow.
Sam: I don’t know. Some clouds can just look grey and sad.
Jordan: Have you ever heard the saying, “Every cloud has a silver lining”?
Sam: Yes, I’ve heard it, but I find it hard to understand what it means.
Jordan: It means that even when something looks bad, like a dark cloud, there can be something good hiding inside. Like the rain we need.
Later that week, the clouds finally came. The sky turned grey, and rain began to fall steadily on the thirsty grounds. Sam and Jordan stood on the porch, listening to the rhythm of the drops and smelling the refreshing scent in the air. The fields drank it in, and the flowers started to lift their heads.
Sam: It’s not as bad as I thought.
Jordan: Look, see that bright edge on the cloud?
Sam: Ah, the silver lining? I guess the rain really did help.
Jordan: Exactly, you've got it.
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