The Carpenters released "Rainy Days and Mondays" in 1971. It was the second song by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols to become another hit (their first one was with "We've Only Just Begun"). And the song made it to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart! Karen's vocals are amazing and genuinely capture the depth of emotion felt during these gloomier days.
Although rainy days (and sometimes Mondays) have always seemed a little bit more melancholy to me, I've realized in recent years it's ok that those days feel that way. It's ok to just accept those days as they are and do my best to power through.
Everyday is not going to be filled with sunshine and wonder (and rainbows). We are going to have days of struggle, heartbreak, sadness...and those are actually the days we learn the most about ourselves and life itself. If we didn't have sad and dreary days, we wouldn't be as grateful as we are for the happier and sunnier ones. And we wouldn't have as much strength from having made it through all those days if we never experienced them.
"Rainy Days and Mondays" also addresses loneliness with the lyrics, "talking to myself and feeling old" and "what I've got they used to call the blues." It's a song that expresses how gloomy loneliness can feel, even though, deep down, most of us know we have people who love us that we don't have to go "run and find." When we experience lonely days, it's so easy to spiral all the way down to "sometimes I'd like to quit" and "feeling like I don't belong" (believe me I've been there), but we have the opportunity to be open to hope. There's always hope, even in the midst of sadness and loneliness.
We also have an opportunity on those days to embrace the things we love the most and that bring us the most joy, whether it's a favorite meal, hobby, or interest, just like I mention in another recent post, You do you.
So yes, these days can often feel lonely and sad, but we still have all those important people in our lives, and maybe even a few furry ones (special shoutout to my Reesee girl!) that love and appreciate us. And we are awesome too, just as we are, even on those uninspired days.
Friends, even if we just simply focus on that love from others, and cut ourselves some slack during our rainy days and Mondays, it's enough to get us through, and it's the joy-filled pick-me-up we need.
I hope you enjoy my music video of this song, and the little bit of adventure I throw in at the end! Shine on!!