This winter in Sonoma County was dreary.  For a few days, it rained so hard that I was worried about the wildlife. It was pelting down. And when the drainage pipes around our home couldn’t handle the water coming off the hill and gutters, our lower level flooded…multiple times. This also happened last year when we experienced an “unusual amount of rain” and once a few years back too. In other words, it turns out that this amount of rain is not that unusual after all. We’d been hoping that the rain cycles would “go back to normal”, but it turns out, if we don’t want to deal with incessant flooding, that we need to make a new plan. Isn’t it common for us to just hope that things “go back to normal” when it turns out that we really need to excavate what is really going on so we can shift and forge a better path forward?

We needed to stop reacting and get to the heart of what was going on. As a result, we have undertaken a huge project: redoing all the drainage around the house, which required removing our 1000 sq. foot patio, and a second broken concrete patio that was discovered a foot below the other that was simply buried. This became an archaeological dig. We found four versions of drainage configurations that had been abandoned and covered up, which exacerbated the water problems and created a lovely gopher habitat. (I’ve been referring to it as the Habatrail). Unfortunately, this is a common Western Sonoma County phenomenon and in these parts, this is a story old as time. We also discovered that the existing patio was actually above the sill of our foundation, which explained the abundance of water getting in and also led us to replace the rotted out sill of the whole west side of our house and replace the foundation in both corners.

Every few hours for two weeks, I’d be called outside to examine yet another discovery that certainly explained why we were having these ongoing challenges. Our contractor kept saying, “The people that did this did a very, very bad job.” Admittedly, a few years ago, this would have shot my stress through the roof, but I’m more resourced now than I have ever been and I have space for the unexpected. As a result, I have the ability to see the opportunity in it. When you get an abundance of lemons, it’s an opportunity to make lemonade. We are  building beautiful rock walls (that will also help with the water coming down the hill with the French drains behind them) and a brand-new flagstone patio over the new drainage system. We now know why the floors felt slanted on that side of the house and our house will be much more solid (and a lot less wonky) as a result. Much of the expense will be behind siding or underground but it’s going to be waterproof and our patio and new stone walls will be gorgeous. Although the project is costing more than double what we expected, we know our house, and we, will be better for it.

I am confident that in a few months when we are enjoying our gorgeous patio on a summer afternoon, we will realize that the time, money, and energy that we dedicated to this project came with great rewards. The dip we are going through will not be for naught. We will have a greater appreciation for our new backyard as a result of the challenges we had to go through. And that is what I call the gift of contrast. We will appreciate it more because the contrast will be so great.

Have you ever cut sugar out of your diet for a few weeks?  No sugar, no fruit, nothing? After a few weeks of having nothing sweet, if you bite into a perfectly ripe strawberry, it will taste like the sweetest, most delicious thing you’ve ever tasted.  Better than candy. That is the gift of contrast. The absence of sugar is what makes the strawberry taste so sweet, just as the harder times in our work and our lives can make the rest of life taste sweeter. We are looking forward to those sweeter days.

One thing is for certain, we all experience dips. It is part of the human experience. But if we choose to see them, there are always gifts in the experience, and the gift of contrast is just one of them.

So, if you or your organization are experiencing a dip, know that it doesn’t have to be for naught. Trust that it’s there to show you something. Don’t just bring out the sandbags and hope that things will go back to normal after the storm. Take the opportunity to be curious and dig in, to get to the heart of what’s really going on. Only then can you truly put those flooding days behind you.

Ask yourself:

• Do you have any “faulty drainage” that you want to excavate in your work or life?
• What gifts have I received as a result of a dip I experienced?

As always, I’d love to hear from you! Please reach out and share!