She had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful brown haired, freckle-faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the Earth it has no time to flow down the spout.

　　We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Wal-Mart. We waited, some patiently, others 4)irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I get lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child come pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

　　Her voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in. "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said.

　　"What?" Mom asked.

　　"Let's run through the rain!" She repeated.

　　"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.

　　This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain."

　　"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.

　　"No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm."

　　"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"

　　"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!"

　　The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say.

　　Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. Time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith. "Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said. Then off they ran.

　　We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing. Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories. So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories every day!

　　To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. I hope you still take the time to run through the rain.




Run Through the Rain 雨中的記憶
　　她和媽媽剛在沃爾瑪購完物。這個天真的小女孩應該6歲大了，頭發是美麗的棕色
，臉上有雀斑。外麵下著傾盆大雨。雨水溢滿了簷槽，來不及排走，就迫不及待地湧向了大地。

　　我(wo)們(men)都(dou)站(zhan)在(zai)沃(wo)爾(er)瑪(ma)門(men)口(kou)的(de)遮(zhe)篷(peng)下(xia)。大(da)家(jia)在(zai)等(deng)待(dai)，有(you)的(de)人(ren)很(hen)耐(nai)心(xin)
，也(ye)有(you)人(ren)煩(fan)躁(zao)，因(yin)為(wei)老(lao)天(tian)在(zai)給(gei)他(ta)們(men)本(ben)已(yi)忙(mang)碌(lu)的(de)一(yi)天(tian)添(tian)亂(luan)。雨(yu)天(tian)總(zong)引(yin)起(qi)我(wo)的(de)遐(xia)思(si)。我(wo)出(chu)神(shen)地(di)聽(ting)著(zhe)、看著老天洗刷衝走這世界的汙垢和塵埃，孩時無憂無慮地在雨中奔跑玩水的記憶洶湧而至
，暫時緩解了我這一天的焦慮。

　　小女孩甜美的聲音打破了這令人昏昏欲睡的氣氛，“媽媽，我們在雨裏跑吧
，”她說。

　　“什麼？”母親問。

　　“我們在雨裏跑吧，”她重複。

　　“不
，親愛的，我們等雨小一點再走
，”母親回答說。

　　過了一會小女孩又說：“媽媽，我們跑出去吧。”

　　“這樣的話我們會濕透的
，”母親說。

　　“不會的，媽媽。你今天早上不是這樣說的。”小女孩一邊說一邊拉著母親的手。

　　“今天早上？我什麼時候說過我們淋雨不會濕啊？”

　　“你不記得了嗎
？你和爸爸談他的癌症時，你不是說‘如果上帝讓我們闖過這一關，那我們就沒有什麼過不去了。’”

　　renqunyipianjijing。wofashi，chuleyusheng，nishenmedoutingbudao。womendoujingjingdizhanzhe。jiexialaidejifenzhongmeiyouyigerenzoudong。muqintingleyixia，zaixiangzheyinggaishuoxieshenme。

　　有you人ren也ye許xu會hui對dui此ci一yi笑xiao了le之zhi，或huo者zhe責ze備bei這zhe孩hai子zi的de不bu懂dong事shi，有you人ren甚shen至zhi不bu把ba她ta的de話hua放fang在zai心xin上shang。但dan這zhe卻que是shi一yi個ge小xiao孩hai子zi一yi生sheng中zhong需xu要yao被bei肯ken定ding的de時shi候hou。若ruo受shou到dao鼓gu舞wu，此ci時shi孩hai子zi單dan純chun的de信xin任ren就jiu會hui發fa展zhan成cheng為wei堅jian定ding的de信xin念nian。“親愛的，你說得對
，我們跑過去吧。如果淋濕了，那也許是因為我們的確需要衝洗一下了，”母親說。然後她們就衝出去了。

　　我wo們men站zhan在zai那na裏li，笑xiao著zhe看kan她ta們men飛fei快kuai地di跑pao過guo停ting著zhe的de汽qi車che。他ta們men把ba購gou物wu袋dai高gao舉ju過guo頭tou想xiang擋dang擋dang雨yu，但dan還hai是shi濕shi透tou了le。好hao幾ji個ge人ren像xiang孩hai子zi般ban尖jian叫jiao著zhe
，大da笑xiao著zhe，也ye跟gen著zhe衝chong了le出chu去qu，奔ben向xiang自zi己ji的de車che子zi。當dang然ran，我wo也ye這zhe樣yang做zuo了le
，跑pao了le出chu去qu
，淋lin濕shi了le。我wo也ye需xu要yao接jie受shou洗xi禮li。環huan境jing或huo其qi他ta人ren可ke以yi奪duo去qu你ni的de物wu質zhi財cai富fu，搶qiang走zou你ni的de金jin錢qian，帶dai走zou你ni的de健jian康kang，但dan沒mei有you人ren可ke以yi帶dai走zou你ni珍zhen貴gui的de回hui憶yi。因yin此ci
，記ji得de要yao抓zhua緊jin時shi間jian
，抓zhua住zhu機ji會hui每mei天tian都dou給gei自zi己ji留liu下xia一yi些xie回hui憶yi吧ba！

　　世間萬物皆有自己的季節，做任何事情也有一個恰當的時機。希望你有機會在雨中狂奔一回。