light in dark places. and, sometimes: being ok with the dark

gratitude in wintertime!

i wrote this a few weeks ago (being that it's now February 17), but thought it was worth publishing anyway.

today the sun, mysterious and dramatic, is peering through a veil of cloud. he might fully present himself (doubtful.. ), but i was happy to catch this slight glimpse. for the past few days, we've had a gully-washer here in Berkeley. gusty winds that shake the fir trees, and lakes where usually there are walkways. this morning i went outside to find the wind had swept the sidewalks completely dry, leaving shocked worms stranded. the break is nice. but i have been grateful for the rain. we need it. in our busy gotta-get-there-now lives, we don't have time for inconvenient weather. this summer i talked to a woman who had just moved to Portland, Oregon. i told her that i think Portland is such a cool city, but i couldn't ever live there because of the rain. what she said made me think: "Californians with their constant sun-worship are much too Yang ~ always energetic going and doing. they are out of balance. rain gives you a chance to curl up and get in touch with your cool, damp places." living in Kentucky, i was so familiar with cool and especially damp. my spirit needed airing out and warming. but the places i have grown to love in California have rainy seasons. i have realized i have something to learn in the gray soupy clouds. this past week mr. Sealion was off work, and i had a busy daily schedule. so every night he made a fire, and we cozied up with the cats and did indoor-things. we read, or just hung out, drank warm beverages, and more than once dozed, books slouching to our laps, way before bedtime. this is the best of wintertime! so for the past few days i have been happy with the rain. i have prayed that it is slow and steady enough for the soil and the plants that they drink it up and get filled. i can't say how i'll feel about the weather next week. but that's how it was this week. and i was glad.