Weathering the Weather
Summer’s spent,
Dusty, dry, hot;
Blessed is the Land when the rain comes.
Lately the weather has changed here. No longer is it sunny and hot: the sky is full of clouds, bringing English misty rain down and around all day and all night. Always there is the importance of balance, and never more so than with the weather. Dry for too long, as it has been, and grass becomes dry and golden, the earth becomes parched and cracks open. But life is enduring, and this rain has helped it to recover. The grass is brightening its green, plants are looking healthy and not wilting, and the earth is softening and slowly closing the cracks in it. Doing much gardening work over the past few months, I am much more aware of it than I would have been otherwise. I see how vital the rain is, even as I wish I didn’t have to work in the wet.
To many people, the Sky is some fickle god dishing out different weather in spite of our plans and desires… many of us don’t want to be wet, we like it to be sunny, but not too hot.. especially when we plan to be outside for something. We feel kicked around by fate, as if life is out of our control and we are victims of the whim of the weather. But the weather will be as it must be. It is a dynamic system, a part of the cycle of things, and a part of the Web of life, just as we are.
Learn to appreciate what the rain means for the life that lives outside, for the plants and the animals who do not have access to wells or mains taps. For the pond dwellers who may see the place they live shrinking and disappearing. Spare a thought for the farmers who work the fields, praying for rain so that their crops might grow strong enough to be sold, so that they may live comfortably, and that we might have food on our plates. Yes, it truly affects us all, so it is unwise to complain. It is far better to learn to live in harmony with the weather, to challenge our beliefs about what we like and what we don’t, and what is acceptable. As in most things, it is our attitude that decides whether we enjoy something or not. Remember, there are those that like singing in the rain…