Cycles

Rain
I am crying. I call my friend and we go for a walk. It is a cool and overcast day, so we bundle ourselves in jackets, scarves and hats. Afterward, sitting in my kitchen, we share a pot of tea. I feel the warmth on my fingers as I cradle the mug. It begins to rain.

The rain is comforting — the tapping on the window.

When it rains, I feel a comforting passage of time. I don’t feel anxious about time the way I often do when I am consumed with my goals and measuring my life against them. When it rains, time feels right and that’s such a relief.  It is time for it to rain and it rains.

My friend and I stay in all afternoon. Being inside when it rains produces an uncompromising sense of comfort. We are protected by the warmth and shelter of my home.  I cry. We talk. We listen. It is reassuring to cry when it rains. The rain and my teardrops create a rhythm, a syncopation. Finally, the rain clears. My tears evaporate into the earth. And nature has washed the sidewalks, the streets, and my sticky, muddy heart.

Cultivating Comfort
Nature is a reminder of the cycles in life. There is sunshine and rain, laugher and tears, morning and night.  Can you be as patient and present as the rain? Can you connect to the comfort of nature?