Solace in the Storm
Present Moments in Yesterday’s Thunder
It rolls in, out of nowhere. The dark ominous clouds, the thickness of the air. Little droplets everywhere. Dizzy, fine drops. In a few moments, bigger teary raindrops fall from the sky. I smell the wet earth, it grounds me. I wonder if it grounds others too.
I will never understand why I feel so comforted when it’s dark and stormy outside. I feel calm and soothed. Maybe because the clouds overhead always seem like a thick blanket, covering the sky and I am resting underneath. It could be the pressure, or the feeling of the air itself. Balmy, warm, misty. Moisture in the air has its own energy, it feels dreamily atmospheric.
A loud roll overhead. Thunder emerges, announcing its presence. Then a bright flash of lightning appears over the horizon peaking over the hills to the west. A tiny ray of sun piercing through the clouds. The sun doesn’t win this time, the clouds consume its light, swallowing it whole.
Lights flicker on and off. Excitement stirs within me. I think it’s that childhood memory of excitement when the house goes dark and you’re scrambling for flashlights. You get to dine by candlelight, play cards, board games. The night is fun and thrilling. It’s also unpredictable. When are the lights going to come back on? No one really knows.
Raindrops drop faster and faster. Heavy, rapid, intense. The drops hitting various slabs of pavement, metal and rock. Loud dings, little tings, light taps, big splats. The sounds tickle my ears, and I linger, listening for a few moments longer.
Amidst this rainfall, I have a chore to do. Opening the door, forgetting about the storm outside. Leaping out, my foot touches the ground, sans shoe. Wetness hits my toes like a quick shock. My sock is soaked. Drops hit my head swift and piercing. Pin-like drops. Tiny little daggers almost. I am jolted. A noise escapes my throat. I reach for the soaked lid of the garbage can. Quickly opening and dumping the contents in my hand. The drops continue to splash, I notice them hit my hands, beads of water pool onto my skin. It’s cold, almost icy. The warmth of the air doesn’t match the elements falling from above.
I recoil back into the warmth of my garage. Make my way back into the house where I can view the progression of the storm with a wider lens.
Majestic. Fierce. Temporary.
Kind of like life.
I watch the wind force the rain to fall diagonally. Then it comes to an abrupt stop. Darkness continues to fill the sky. The sun has started its descent, it’s subtle glow visible behind darkness, highlighting the outline of a big cloud. A quiet lull. Silence. I hear nothing, but I see clouds drifting…drifting.
Gratitude. Witnessing the force of nature in all its glory. I thank the storm and all its sensory gifts it has bestowed on me, in this present now, on this wet, thundery afternoon.
