Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Grows me

 
It rained all night.  I would occasionally wake up to listen to it pouring off the roof of the porch.  I really like rainy days.  They make me sleepy and relaxed.  And rainy nights are made for good sleeping.  When the rain comes during the night, the sound is soothing.   It's as if the soil, the trees, the flowers, the vegetables are heaving a sigh of relief. 

I picked vegetables in the rain, and we had a feast of new potatoes, fresh basil, snap beans, and simlin squash for dinner last night.  The garden is lush this morning after the long rain.  The dogs are out chasing each other, happily barking and playing in the puddles in the paddock.

I needed the rest and my home group meeting last night.  We talked about letting go--not trying to hang on tenaciously to the past with its flaws and self-inflicted wounds.  I couldn't help but be reminded that my spiritual growth has grown stronger with its roots deepening and spreading out to keep me anchored and able to withstand the weight of living in the world.  There have been many dark days, yet ultimately I am still standing and not too bowed from my cares.  Like all the other living things, I have a passion for living.

I like the following passage from the poet and spiritual philosopher Mark Nepo:

"We start out thin and green, and each time the sky grows dark, we think we will break, but the downpour makes us grow, though never straight, always twisting for the light, and strangely, the more we reach above the earth, the deeper something in us fingers its way down, and it is this--our unseen fingers reaching for the core--that keep us from blowing away.  Now there is no more running and very little swaying, and up till now, there have been many languages, although none that could be heard, just a creak at dawn and a moan at night, and sooner or later, we are brought down. It doesn't matter how. We are undone......" from The Book of Awakening.

Eventually each of us has a dark day and a time of being undone.  It can be the death of loved ones, an illness, loss of love, any kind of unexpected change.  What I hope is that my roots are deep and firm.  And that the rainy times are gentle.  I know that the sun will eventually shine again.

15 comments:

  1. rain at night can be very soothing,except the thunder and lightnig comes along as well.

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  2. Again- you have given me something of value to think of today. Thank-you.

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  3. Rain is cleansing, rain is soothing, and what makes it such a comfort it that we know the sun will shine again. As we work through recovery and survive truth, change, and growth we realize that our roots are stretching out, our anchor is much stronger than it used to be. Life is good in bad times as well as in good times. Your garden is producing a wonderful harvest and may today be filled with sunshine for you.

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  4. I completely connect with what you are saying, and thank you for sharing the quote. I am going through a very dark and stormy time, but I am now remembering my lifetime love for thunderstorms, and I am strong enough from my past struggles to build anew should there be any damage or destruction from this one. Thank you, as always, for sharing.

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  5. great post...was just commenting very similar on another blog. sometimes we can tak on the attitude that we dont deserve the storms or that someone is "out to get us", or that its just "not fair" and the reality is many of the storms we go through prepare us for what is to come...

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  6. I love listening to the soothing rain also, and often use a white light application on my iPhone that has fake rain sounds on it to help me sleep.

    Sounds like your garden is lovely.

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  7. This is lovely. Thank you. I like rainy days, too.

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  8. Thank you for such a great way of sharing your hope. We all experience dark times. Finding the strength is difficult and at times seems impossible. Eventually it comes and thank goodness for that.

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  9. This post helped me with my serenity. Thanks!

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  10. I love rain, too, Syd. I am always perplexed when people are melancholy when it rains. It is such a good thing for our environment. Something to be grateful for.

    I guess the fact the I hail from a semi-arid desert makes me more appreciative.

    Have a great week :)

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  11. Syd, your writing is just amazing. I love the comparison of your garden and your spiritual growth. I also love the part of the poem about not growing straight but twisting into the light. My Mom planted a tree many years ago with my sister at our family gravesite. It was like a scrub pine, planted right under other bigger, powerful trees. The tree grew, twisted and turned until it now is taller than the other trees. I buried my Mom and Sis in the past couple of years, but now when I look at that tree, it will take on a whole new meaning for me, thank you for that.

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  12. Lovely metaphors -- thought-provoking post Syd.

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  13. ahhhh what a wonderful post, Syd. I too enjoy the reflection and soul-stirring that accompanies a day long rain or thunderstorm.

    I love the comparison to trees in the quote, that was a great read! Thanks!

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  14. This is a beautiful post and an important reminder to us all.

    Thank you.

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  15. Gee...I think what you were saying is without rain there'd be no fruit. I'm starting to understand that rough times leads to new awareness, a time of growth, with results that give me sustenance. I like the rain too.

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Let me know what you think. I like reading what you have to say.