Rain

Into every life a little rain must fall...
Have you ever heard those wise words?  Perhaps, if you are blessed enough to still have a grandparent, you may have been imparted many little hidden wisdoms like this one.  Heed them well!

Into every life, a little rain must fall...
It's Natural.  It's the ebb and flow of the ocean.  It's the change of seasons.  It's the breathing in and breathing out of Life.  Sometimes it's a sprinkle and sometimes it's a torrent, but it comes.

The clouds drift in, the rain begins, the wind might blow, tears may flow but you must always know it will end.

There are umbrellas and raincoats, kind words and faith that help to get us through the storms in our lives.
It takes a little practice to know which one to reach for, but that comes with time and age.  I suppose that's one good thing about getting older, we learn when to find a tissue and when to grab an umbrella!

April showers bring May flowers.  What do February showers do?  Tell you it's too warm outside to snow?
Wash away the remnants of that last snowstorm?  Rinse the birdpoop off your feeders?  All of the above, plus let you know in a whisper that the Earth is preparing.

She's preparing to have a party!  To burst forth in all Her multi-colored, festive finery.  The budding artistry has begun!  The trees are thinking about blooming.  The watering of silent roots and sleeping creatures beneath the surface is in progress.  They soon will emerge hungry for the hors d'oevres of Spring... more rain (and sun eventually).

The Fairys will dance in the garden once again.  The airy cloud Sylphs float overhead on white whisps of moisture.  The elves and their kin will soon be tending to Life's unseen celebration.  All unbeknownst to us.
All because the rain sent out the invitations.  All because of the wisdom of Nature.

She sees around the corners, through the fog, past the storm and into the forest.  And beyond the dark woods of uncertainty, there is a rainbow that makes everything "right as rain".

If you listen, the rain speaks to you.  There is a whining in the wind, a whistling in the trees, a rhythm in the raindrops.  It's saying "All is well.  This too shall pass.  Into every life... a little rain must fall.

A Pair o' Ducks

****This morning I awoke to a perfect blanket of pure white snow. The kind that sticks to every little twig and tine of chickenwire fencing. It looks like a warm snuggly, fuzzy blanket. Ha! I wouldn't want to roll around in that! It's a "pair o' ducks", you know, something that seems like one thing and turns out to be the exact opposite!
****Our backyard is once again secluded just like it is in the late Spring when everything is green and blooming; another pair o' ducks. It makes me think that I live in a much better area where you can't see the neighbors. I can dream, can't I? (At least until later this afternoon or tomarrow when all the snow melts.)
Its supposed to be 60 on Sunday.
****Nature always seems to find Her balance. Even though something looks odd to us, She sees it as normal, Natural. To Nature a pair o' ducks is just a couple of Mallards. All is well. If you pushed those ducks below the surface and let go, they would bob right back up on top of the water again. Balance.   
****The sun is out now and the contrast of blindingly white snow on branches and leaves against the rich blue sky is a thing of beauty. Don't you get fooled when the day is clear and sunny and looks warm but isn't? (Another "pair".)
****I don't know about you, but I think it's arrogant of us humans to think we have any great power against the force of Nature. She seems to function just fine without consulting us one iota. We may not understand Her ways, and we certainly don't have the scope of vision to stand outside our limited bubble of life and observe the overall vista of the plan of the Universe. Its probably all a pair o' ducks!
****The immense power of tidal waves and cyclones, volcanoes and lightening, the changing of seasons and the cycles of Life and death are baffling to us. For eons our ancestors have tried to change and control the ebb and flow of Mother Nature's ways to suit themselves. They have danced and prayed, sacrificed and  chanted their way through history. Are we not still doing the same thing? If there is global warming, perhaps it is because Ms. Nature wants it thus. "Its not nice to fool with Mother Nature!" (Old commercial for you young'ns!) Not that I'm for polluting or disrespecting any of this beautiful planet or the wonderous Life on it. But, could it be that we are more like fleas on a dog, than destroyers of the balance of Nature? Maybe we are just an annoyance.  Maybe we are loved no matter what havoc or mischief we create, just as the birds of prey or lions or crocodiles are a part of the program even though they are aggressive and deadly. Are we not as valuable as the lillies of the fields and the sparrows of the woods?
****Do you know that after a forest fire, there are elements available that actually help to create new life? Some plant's seeds grow better after they charred. If Life can fight back after something as devastating and deadly as a fire; if the earth can spin on it's axis for millenniums; if civilizations of crazy humans of every shape, color and form can ponder the ways of the Universe and try to effect a change upon It (to no avail I might add); then what detrimental effect could little us really have? Aren't we arrogantly and ignorantly just following our ancestors pair o' ducks, all the while thinking how sophisticated and advanced we are?
****Face it people! We're just a bunch of fleas inhabiting a flock of Mallards floating upon the pond of Life!