Yesterday’s rain brought miraculous healing to the grass and the flowers, the gardens and the trees.  After two weeks of no rain combined with terribly high temperatures, I think our appreciation for water and the gifts it brings to our lives is raised to a new level.  One would think that human beings, whose bodies are 60-78% water, would think about it every day.  Look at our planet —  the earth also is covered by 71% water.  It appears that we have a kinship with the planet we inhabit.  During our recent dry spell, at a time when the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is threatening our oceans, I often would think of how vital water is to our survival — and to that of our planet.

When the rain began to fall yesterday, I found myself drawn outdoors, just to stand in it and feel the cleansing warmth of the long-awaited water.  I had a feeling of letting the raindrops wash over my gratitude and carry it with them as the miracle of the water cycle takes them to ground, to evaporation, to the clouds once again, and ultimately back to their source — the ocean.  I asked the rain to carry my love to the ocean and ask her to heal from the damage we have done.

There is nothing like the arrival of a newborn baby to remind us of the value of human life.  There is nothing like a long-overdue rainstorm to renew our appreciation for the gift of water.  As the day drew to a close, I joined a circle of friends and drummed good energy into the universe.  During a meditation, we listened to the sounds of native flute and ocean drum, and were whisked away to the shore.  There, I felt the tide come in and gently wash over my feet.  I watched the setting sun sparkle on the clear, blue water as it sank with a sizzle and sent up clouds on the western horizon.  When we began to drum again, I found myself looking up at the clouds that gathered in the sky above us; and I drummed the image of that beautiful sunset shoreline into the heavens.

May the clouds fly quickly through the clear blue skies and remind the ocean of her beauty, which still exists beneath the surface of our mistakes.  A friend said to me this morning that no small kindness is ever wasted.  I do believe that is true.