Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

Perhaps you fell off a ladder and broke your leg--but at least you get to miss a couple weeks of work and catch up on your reading or favorite TV shows. Perhaps you got a horrible mark on the first mid-term exam--but at least it inspired you to study harder and master the course material before the next one. Perhaps you lost your home in a destructive tornado--but at least you'll never be annoyed by that creaky hardwood floor or the drafty windows any more!

You may be familiar with the proverbial argument between two philosophers over a glass of water. One says that the glass is half-full, while the other insists that it is half-empty. Of course, they are both right: it is a matter of perspective. There are at least two ways of looking at any situation, depending on whether you focus on the positive aspects or the negative aspects. Sometimes we say, there are two sides to the same coin.

Even circumstances that seem at first glance to be bad often have some redeeming feature: something good that comes out of an unpleasant situation. We associate clouds with rain, or dark days when the sun is hidden from view. However, even clouds can be beautiful. As a reminder that things are not as bad as they sometimes seem, we say that every cloud has a silver lining.

I would argue that clouds do not deserve the negative reputation that hold in many people's minds. A clear blue sky without any clouds in sight is boring. No pleasant summer day is complete without some lumpy, pillowy cumulus clouds floating by as children look for familiar objects or animals in their shapes. Even a completely overcast sky can be beautiful when there are textures and patterns visible in the clouds. And it is also worth mentioning that clouds bring rain, which is essential for life. Throughout human history, clouds have reminded people of the divine. Thunder and lightning come from clouds, as well as the shafts of sunlight that shine through after a storm. It would seem that clouds have many silver linings.

Whether you are talking about literal clouds, or, as is more likely, about discouraging events that seem to be all bad, this is an idiom used to help people cheer up, and look on the bright side. The next time you are faced with clouds, real or metaphorical, remember to look for the silver lining before losing hope.