December 20, 2020

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”  -John Muir

The sun was preparing to drop below the horizon on the eve of the winter solstice. As I walked up the ramp to the barn I stopped to admire the light of the day’s end and how it brightened the snow and the emphasized the shadows of the trees.  It was peaceful and relaxing. Then I heard a sound.  Actually, it is one of my favorites sounds.  The dripping of melting snow into a small puddle on the ground.  The drip, drop, splash grabbed me and connected to my inner primitive self.  

In these crazy days of the holidays and the Covid ambush, I make an effort to pay attention to those drip, drop, splashes which make me feel alive and connected to the earth. By attending, it wakes something inside of me.  It offers a momentary peace from the hustle and worry.  

As I entered the barn to prepare for class I couldn’t get that drip, drop, splash out of my head.  I knew I had to revisit it.  Once I was fully prepared for class I strolled back to the barn to visit the puddle.  Why did this make me so happy?  To the ordinary observer it was just melting snow. But to me it was frozen water hanging from the metal roof becoming liquid, forming a stream which ended at the ground in a grand splash!  All day, gravity pulled a steady stream of water downward creating this alluring sound.  I got on my knees to examine it closer. I watched and listened to the drip drop, splash. You might think I am crazy but this was valuable to me. There was a kinship between me and the falling water.

We are in the midst of a time when all seems to move so quickly and there are so many reasons to be stressed.  Is it possible that we miss the drip, drop, splashes in our lives? What is your drip, drop, splash?

Here is photo of mine.

Peace to you, Sue