I’m writing this at night, and thunder is rolling through the sky. I’m one of those people who loves thunder, thanks to my mom and dad.
I grew up on the shores of Saginaw Bay in Michigan and our house had an enclosed sunporch that looked out over the water. Sometimes when it stormed at night, my parents would wake me from my sleep and tuck me between them on the sofa to watch lightning dance across the horizon ,and lighting up the waves. It was as good as 4th of July fireworks, only cozier, a private show just for the three of us. I loved it.
I remember falling asleep to the fragrance and sound of rain on nights like that. And to this day, nighttime rain feels like a loving lullaby.
But tonight, I’m also thinking how blessed I am that the concussions that roll through the sky are thunder, and nothing more, that I can hear them without fear, that they are not rockets or bombs. It’s only an accident of birth that puts me here, out of harm’s way. I am not here, in this place of peace, because I am special in some way. Any of us could as easily be cowering at the sounds of sirens, or at the quivering of the air, as sitting comfortably in our homes.
And none of us can say, in today’s uncertain world, that the peace we enjoy today will endure.
But life has never been certain. None of us knows, when we wake in the morning, what our days will hold. That’s part of the wonder of it all.
A friend of mine, a woman I’ve known since childhood, posted on Faceboook that she turned on the news and was filled with dismay at all the turmoil in the world. “Nothing good is happening anywhere!” she said.
A couple people commented that they agreed. The world was in the proverbial hand-basket heading straight to hell.
Then a wise voice chimed in. “Plenty of good things are happening in the world,” the writer said. “People are getting married, having babies, dancing, enjoying sunsets and walks on the beach. Take your dog for a walk. Then you will be one of the good things that’s happening in the world right now.”
“Amen,” I thought. We can’t stop wars or weather. But we can be one of the good things that’s happening in the world. We can walk our dogs, hug our kids, sing our songs, or revel in the fragrance and sound of rain. We can tip the scale towards joy, and gratitude, and celebration. We can be the love that’s happening in the world right now.
And I kind of think that’s exactly what the world wants from us, and needs.
Let’s get out there and be scale-tippers. It’s the least we can do, don’t you agree?
Wishing you golden moments.
Warmly,
Susan