Rain

It's raining today.

I know it's not big news for the summer in most places. It is big news, however for the desert-dwellers. Television stations in my city carry video footage of puddles on both the six o'clock and ten o'clock news when it rains. But, I'm not in Phoenix, I'm in the Pacific Northwest where rain is a usual thing.

I'm amazed at the affect it is having on me today. The water is gently washing all my rough edges to roundness; it is smoothing the sharpness and soaking the soreness. The rain is bringing me a serenity I've come on vacation to find.

It's good to change climates if you can on vacation. We need that shift of environment and sensory input, and be refreshed by the differences. We desert-dwellers need to be reminded of puddles and feel the cleansing of a steady rain. Those who live in the land of heavy clouds and humidity, need to feel the dry, unencumbered sun sinking into their bones once in awhile. Those that live in level lands, need the taste of mountains, and vice versa.

If we are fortunate to love where we live, we will love it even more if we can manage a little variety. The earth feeds us with her diversity...and it's a food that nourishes deep into our souls. I had a friend who commented once on how uncomfortable it was for her, as a Midwesterner use to being surrounded by tall trees, to venture into the desert or the plains with all their immense openness. She felt intimidated and exposed. Others feel claustrophobic in the midst of a forest. These fears are probably good to feel on occasion as well. They remind us that the earth really is not under our dominion, but has a life of its own and qualities far beyond our reach. They have the power to refresh us and to remind us that not all is under our control. We need to pay attention and open ourselves to the gifts.