March 13, 2014

Warmth

My friend, Michael, wrote a blog about rain recently. He entitled it "Rain" but it was truly much more about his own gentle and peaceful spirit. It could be the stillness inspired by rain that reacquaints us with our own nature. We are often restricted from that awareness when consumed with mowing, trimming, shoveling and other outside busy-work.

I, too, love the rain. Especially the first rain of the season. As the drops of water baptize the earth, the alchemy of the pairing creates the incredible smell that could never be mistaken by anyone, for anything. except "first rain".  The smell commands me to go sit on my rocking chair on the front porch and sniff and breathe and  relish in it. Just between you and me, it also commands me to grab a handful of newly dampened soil and eat it but I have been able to stand in my own power and resist that command for many, many, many years, mostly.

As I was telling Michael, too many days of rain can have awful effects on me. Remember the movie with the cute, cuddly furry animal that comes with 3 rules. Rule 1: Never feed after midnight.
Rule 2: Never get it wet. Rule 3:  hmm, I don''t recall rule 3 but it is probably something like: If you have broken rules 1 or 2, run like hell because cute and fuzzy just morphed into evil and dangerous!

I am much like those cuddly little critters, though you can get me wet and I love to snack after midnight. The scary part of me is that insanity lies just beneath the surface of my typically quiet nature. I also come with a set of rules but for the life of me, I cannot find the list. Surely one of the rules, closest to the top is to make sure that I do not go without sufficient sunshine and warmth during the tail end of winter.

Unlike the fuzzy little critters movie, I'm going to tell you what will happen if my spirit is deprived of sunshine for too long a stretch. First clue that melt down is happening, I pull on 3 layers of sweaters and insist on wearing pajama bottoms all day. (If you come to my house at 2:30 p.m. and I answer the door in blue, plaid flannel and have shoulders like a linebacker, RUN, do not hesitate, do not look back).

Second clue is that giant V between my eyes, though you shouldn't have stayed long enough or gotten close enough to observe it if you had paid attention to rule 1.  Rule 3 is pretty much too late because my hands will be around your neck and you will be flailing!

Just a side note: It really is a mystery how arthritic hands, which do not have the strength to open a gallon jug of green tea for 11 months of the year, can suddenly develop the fortitude and vitality of the Hulk during an overdose of precipitation.

Patrick Henry is credited with saying, "Give me Liberty or Give me Death." One of the many quotes that I may be remembered for will be "Give me Sunshine or I Keeel you!"

When the sun does shine but it is still too cold or windy to leave the comfort of my home you can often find me laying on a quilt, with or without a pillow, in a sunny spot on the floor. It's not as effective since we replaced all the windows and glass doors in the house but it still does the trick.
That also explains why we no longer have cats; too much competition for the sunny spots.

Now, remember the monster that you might meet at the front door on a rainy day in late March. If you walk into the house and see me stretched out in a sunny spot on the floor, it is your lucky day.
All I care about in that moment is the warmth spreading through my body, down, down, down to the bone.

"Honey, I totaled the car!"
"That's nice."

"Hey, I got fired today!"
"That's nice."

"Babe, gotta pack, there's a tsunami headed our way!"
"That's nice."

It is March 13. It is 72 degrees outside and I have a new book! And? 

You got it! That's nice!


1 comment:

Comment Please but Play Nice!