In Alberta this year we experienced more hot sunny dry days in May than usual. It was terrific for backyard BBQs and getting together on decks and patios to socialize, and we made the most of it.
BUT – seeds didn’t germinate in the fields because it was too hot and too dry.
Our forests were tinder boxes, and went up in smoke. The smoke billowed out over vast areas, and fires raged across the country. In one month, more hectares of forest were destroyed by fire than in any full year previous.
Although I live about 300 km south of the closest big fires, many days the smoke was so thick you couldn’t see to the end of the block. Outdoor activities were cancelled, eyes and throats stung, and breathing was laboured.
And then the rain began.
You bet we are grateful for the cool, soggy weather this week. Slow, gentle rain that soaked into the ground helping to rebalance from the lack of snow pack last winter. Weather so cool that all the precious precipitation made it into the earth, not evaporating in the heat nor running down the streets. Nurturing, calming, life-giving – just what we needed to get back on track.
It doused the fires, cleared the smoke in the air and allowed thousands of evacuated families back into their communities and their homes.
It gave everyone a chance to breathe deeply, and be grateful. No one complained of the cool weather – even when the furnaces kicked in!
And the seeds in the fields began germinating!
Which got me to thinking about all of this as a metaphor for life.
Sometimes I get on such a fast-paced roll I don’t realize the stress it is causing my body, mind and soul. And then there is a tough patch or things slow down. My vision isn’t as clear, I seem to loose direction and I stop to catch my breath – and rest.
And then I regain sight of my path, and begin moving forward in the direction of my goals and dreams – and the seeds I planted begin to grow. Kind of like Mother Nature did this week with the clouds and the rain.
I forgive myself for believing the dark days are always bad.
Instead I begin to see dark times as an opportunity to nurture myself more deeply.
I choose to give myself the nurturing I need – body, mind and soul.
I am free to nurture myself today by ________.
I will fill myself up tomorrow when I ________.
I know how to nurture myself, I did it when I ________.
I am using the dark times to really nurture myself and get back on track.
I am grateful for my own nurturing, and the quieter, darker times that give me the opportunity to recharge.
If you need some support in transforming the dark times into something nurturing for yourself, reach out and connect. I’ll hold the flashlight so you can find your feet, start breathing deeply again, and have a clear vision of where you are headed. Together we will watch your dreams and goals become your reality.
Namaste,
Suze