As you already know, it rained a lot last week. On Wednesday, I was working late and stressing a little about the sports page (as well as probably a million other things) because the weather had caused more than a few rain-outs.

I was running out to the car to put away a few dozen newspapers that had piled up and were junking up my desk.

They were not the only things cluttering up my desk, but I thought that getting rid of the papers was at least a start.

Then I saw scene pictured above.

The scene made me forget my worries for a moment and stop to admire it. After that moment of clarity, I also took the time to attempt to capture what I was seeing.

It seems like every now and then — perhaps every week even — there’s a not-so-literal storm in life.

When it’s raining, it can get pretty brutal. You can’t see far ahead of you, it’s cold, you’re probably alone. But even then, it’s good to know there will always be another day with clear skies.

Or even if it’s not so bright, even if it’s cloudy, the sun is still there, and sometimes it will try to peek out, creating beautiful rays on the clouds and causing in our retinas an explosion of colors.

Going through the storm of stresses, whether it’s work, life or something else, all that one needs to know is that like nature oh so often does, something beautiful can be created on the other end.

CAIN MADDEN is the managing editor of The Tidewater News. More old newspapers are already piling up on his desk. He can be reached at 562-3187 or at cain.madden@tidewaternews.com.