It is a rainy Saturday morning that is quite typical of Houston area weather in February. With the melodic patter of rain falling on the roof and skies that remain dark I slept in a couple of hours later than usual. It seems as though the entire neighborhood followed my lead. Nobody is stirring even at nine o’clock, a anomaly for a weekend morning when everyone is usually busy accomplishing tasks outside or rushing off to games and activities with their children.
I have to admit that I enjoy such moments when we all seem to be taking a breather from rushing around. Sometimes my compulsive need to measure my days by the number of my accomplishments becomes tiresome and I am willing to take advantage of any excuse to briefly forget about the clock and my checklist of tasks for the day. Instead I linger a bit longer in my pajamas and sip on my tea rather than gulping it down. There is suddenly no reason to hurry, nothing so pressing that it cannot wait. For a moment l become contemplative and relaxed and it seems that my neighbors do the same.
Many of us now carry around electronic calendars on our phones. We receive reminders that it is time to do this or that. We estimate how many minutes it will take us to get from here to there. We achieve our goals with precision, allotting so many ticks of the clock to achieve our daily goals. We tend to be a production oriented society in which many aspects of our lives are measured with data that tell us whether or not we have taken enough steps, eaten the right food, driven the best route, achieved the metrics of our progress toward our goals. It is as though we are in constant numerical competition until the weather intrudes on our plans and we have to adjust to losing a minute here, an hour there. We can either be upset or simply go with the flow. Often it is best to simply enjoy the freedom from our tendencies to always be timing ourselves .
For me a rainy day creates a perfect opportunity to get started reading the book I have recently purchased or even to watch a program that I have put off finding the time to view. Since I can’t weed the flowerbeds and I don’t want to drive across town on the slick streets I am at liberty to just enjoy my home. I set aside thoughts of cleaning the floors by convincing myself that they will only get dirty again if anyone has to go outside and then return. I suddenly feel that doing the indoor tasks on my list would destroy the permission I now give myself to be a bit lazy. The rain has provided me with all of the excuses that I need. In fact, I tell myself that nature has spoken to me and I must listen and partake of a day of quiet and contemplation.
I think of a poem by William Wordsworth on days such as this and remember the opening lines: The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending we lay waste our powers;-Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!”
I wonder how much I have missed while rushing about as I spend the morning staring at the tree outside my window and listening to the songs of the birds who seem so in sync with the natural world. I am lulled by the symphony of the wind into a state of bliss that I am sometimes unable to find on the days when I check the boxes of my achievements. I know that I would be foolish to waste this day attempting to ignore the beauty and serenity of simply allowing myself to feel as one with the universe around me.
I have friends who have mastered the art of meditation. They are able to slow the pace of their bodies and minds to find tranquility in simply being. It is difficult for me. I race from one thought to another and actually feel guilty for not keeping to my ironclad schedule. Somehow I find reprieve when something forces me to sit for a time with nothing to do but stay calm. I did that on a recent unplanned adventure. I realized in retrospect how much I had accomplished by simply sitting in my car recalling lovely memories that reminded me of my good fortune. Perhaps a rainy day in the same week is a primal message that it is time for me to stop more often to smell the roses. After all, my blood pressure has been higher than usual. I have often felt anxious and stressed of late. As I sit in the quiet of this rainy day I only feel a sense of wonder and awe that I have been surrounded by love and beauty my entire life.
The rain returns my perspective to where it should be. It tells me that it is okay not to always be in control. It provides me with the panacea that I need to see the world in all its glory and possibilities. It reminds me that my days don’t always have to be sunny and that it’s okay to take a break from the world to once again see the glory of my existence. After this wonderful rainy day I will no longer be out of tune. I will find my heart and rejoice.
All It Takes Is A Little Love 