It’s Monday, it’s Canada Day and it’s raining! Well, two out
of three isn't bad. As far as the rain is concerned, not too many folks are
overly excited about the dampness that has invaded our Maritime summer in 2013.
I have been watching the tourists come and go by home, on their way to explore
the waterfront; some carry umbrellas, while others just stroll along adjusting
to the dampness and nothing seems to be amiss.
Maybe that is where my thoughts are going this morning…
adjusting to the dampness. As you know I am preparing a site for my new
woodworking shop and it continues to rain. Nothing can dampen your spirits like the rain, but there are
other factors that climb on board of our psyches and tend to take us for a ride
in the wrong direction by times. There have been a few of late for me. Some things
I talk about and others, well they are things I try to live through, and
endurance is the name of the game in life. I see in others the lines of wear in
their facial expressions and listen to the pain of experiential sadness that
can envelope the soul for a myriad of reasons in life. We all try to do our
best and there are days that our “best” can fall short of the mark we set for
ourselves.
Years ago my Mom told me to aim high lest our best fall
short of the horizon. Shooting for the stars was a practical bit of advice
until it came to living the practical side of rural life with parents whose definition
of the stars may not align with Jupiter… LOL. We can spend much time trying to
calculate the cause and effect of the practical things we are wishing to
undertake and miss the mark of what is the here and now. There is that tree! Such
a small insignificant sapling not too many years ago, grew into the giant ash
that was pushing over a building and we didn't seem to notice. Now that is
dampness!
Others, result from years of seeping leaks in roofs and
walls, around doors and windows; unnoticed until one day while cleaning,
painting or inspecting… there it is… mould, mildew and rot. That can mean major
repairs, refits and sometimes a total rebuild. That is where I am… in the midst
of a total rebuild and the soul can take a beating if we let the lack of "Sonshine" diminish our view of what really is life. I can attest that projects, no matter
how seemingly insignificant, can have their stress points. “IF” I allow myself
to become so steeped in the externals of life, while not caring for the
internals, I get lost.
Lost is a big word for some because it can stir up all kinds
of memories, feelings and reactions that we may not expect. For others, it will
just be a word that has meaning for practical reasons… for those “others” along
the trail of life. We don’t want to be one of “them”! How convenient to shift
the unsavoury hardships of life to only those who wear their lives on their
collars. Having been part of an elite part of society for years… (OK,so it
sounds fancy… but it wasn't…) I can tell you that we all have struggles and how
we hide the stress, or more to the point, deal with the stresses of life, all
fall into the same category of stress, even though dealing with it seems more
acceptable than wearing it.
For example; many are those who transfer or offload stress…
change the pattern by giving it to someone else… no longer their
responsibility. Perhaps we do that in life and don’t realize we are doing it.
If we pretend something is not there and it is not our responsibility… it does
not exist. I am afraid not; that will not work. Somehow that route taken always
comes back to bite us. In life we must take the rain with the sunshine and live
through both the elements with a desire to see the challenges before us, as
well as the benefits gained by our dealing with those challenges, as we face
them daily.
That darn root. So I cut off the offending limb and yet I am
confronted by a root system that has pushed the foundation stones out of place.
You can see my dilemma. Not only was the limb an offending problem, but now
deep roots from that original sapling are causing my blood pressure to take Zamba
lessons. Talk about cardiovascular! I have chipped away at the site, uncovered
part of the root system, sprayed water around the offending foe and still I
feel lost. I don’t want to kill the tree, have it left less secure and open to
disaster later on for both me and my neighbour. So I walk away during the heavy
rains and research… you know the routine. Take a nap (you can do that when you
are old and retired) and maybe when you wake up the answer will be forthcoming!
LOL! Nope; nothing yet. Actually, my system has gone askew a bit… something
that I have to expect from lingering problems following my illness in India in
2012, and this past week was one where I did little and had to rest a lot! That
root system, while annoying, is just another challenge that will take a bit of
work to overcome. Overcoming is the challenge. Not overlooking… overcoming.
What I cannot do alone, I will do with help and it will get done.
So, dampness can get us down, it can cause our outlooks to
be clouded, it can even depress us to the point of despair, if we don’t look
beyond the rain and see the "Sonshine." In the group there were 2 adults and what
seemed to be 3 teenage children and they walked a bit, danced a bit and stopped
a bit to view the architecture and the “curious” nature of the street . We do
have rather an eclectic assortment, if I must admit it myself. The drizzle was
only of secondary importance it seemed. They were out of the car, van, camper
or motorhome and were exploring new territory… they were living. The rain got
them wet but the body and clothing would dry…. For now there was something to
be experience and liquid sunshine was just another part of the day for them.
Watching them saunter along gave me a new perspective that
morning. Even though my week was one with its own set of frustrations, I realized
that I need not deflect, transfer or neglect the problems at hand, but just
take them as they were. Each has its own challenge for sure, but each has its
own solution as well. I guess the reasons behind dampness in areas of life may
be as varied as they are many, but rather than be overcome by the effects, I am
once again (as I tend to overlook that by times you know) peering through the
mist and rain and seeing the sunshine in life. It may come in my own view of an
eclectic assortment of challenges, but more often it come from family, friends
and community; “that eclectic assortment of people and places I call home.”
Ah there may have been a bit of mildew on the old trunk this
past week, but a new week is ahead and I see "Sonshine" through the clouds and
that alone can turn things around for me, when I give Him a chance. So, if the rain
has dampened your soul, do a little dance if you can, smell the rain freshened
air and let the sunshine of the smiles of others help make your day cheerier. Take
a walk along the edge today, give life a new spin, shuffle the cards and see
what the deck holds for you, throw the dice in a new direction and see if it comes
up snake eyes or double sixes! Hey! Walking near the can be a challenge, but it
all depends on your perspective of the view from there. Go take a rainy day
walk and see for yourself! Blessings!
