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Relentless Rain

 

Here in northeast Ohio, we are recovering from last night’s three inches of pelting rain that pulled down wires over Interstate 80 and flooded basements. My brother is lamenting that his annuals were ripped out of the dirt; hours of planting and beautifying his yard are now a memory—as are the impatiens, snapdragons and other blossoms that would have provided the much needed cheer to the path of a man who spends his days as a criminal corrections officer. My three-year-old daughter, Maya, was terrified as the thunder rolled across the sky and cracked against her bedroom window. Lightning flickered like a strobe light, creating the full effect of a haunted house.

As I look out the window this morning, steely skies are still closing down on us; trees are waving their branches as if they are proudly proclaiming their strength to outlast any storm.  Nature is truly amazing. We manicure our lawns and foolishly think we can tame the wilderness. Just when we settle in to enjoy the view, we are reminded that we are never really in charge. The earth needed a drink, and it got it—albeit it was forced to chug.  Now, as drivers flock to Enterprise Rent-a-Car to replace vehicles that hydroplaned into guard rails, I am reminded:  I do not know where life’s road will lead me. Still, I must drive passionately… but with caution.

These heavy rains remind me of humanity’s never ending quest to beat the odds and swim upstream.  In the loud volume of my hectic life, I must carve out the time to enjoy:

 My adorable, question-asking toddlers,

The frog singing in the pond outside my back door,

Good books stacked and ready for reading,

Friends who live equally demanding lives,

The bike trail just minutes from my house,

Walks with my rambunctious Westie named Belle,

Dance parties with my Ipod.

 In survival mode, I avoid thinking about it–but the reality is that life as I know it may well be washed away by tomorrow’s cloudburst. If the storm arrives, I will dance in the puddles and allow Mother Nature to quench my thirst for living… and ask her to nurture my spirit for survival.