Waiting for the rain

I've so many thoughts swirling about lately. It's difficult to focus in on just one. This will be an online journal of sorts. No doubt my first few posts will be just that: a mish-mash of various streaming thoughts and ideas.

It's been raining a lot here in the upstate. One afternoon I was at my mother's assisted living facility and it was raining too hard to go to my car. My mother was concerned I'd need an umbrella. [I don't like umbrellas.] I told my mother we could sit in the rocking chairs and rest and see if it would let up. It was beautiful to hear the rain pounding. I always feel like rain cleanses the earth and can cleanse me, too, if I am still enough to let it.

Two young people (in their 20's) bounded out of their car and ran, in a jumping sort of way, to the door. I told my mom, "They enjoyed the rain!" The young man said, "It was in-VIG-o-rating!" His enthusiasm was catching.

Waiting for the rain to abate gave me a few minutes to remember what a resident had told me, she'd said it helped all of them to see me when I came to visit my mother. She said she had three children, but they lived far away. I gave her a hug for each child.

It hurt immensely to have to ask/tell my mother to move from her home last year. I grieved as I found a place for my mother to live, not in my home. "The Place" is just three miles from my house. I couldn't subject my husband, a teenager or myself, to the upheaval an active, inquisitive, repetitive but darling (to me) older woman would produce in our household.

I've realized over the past few months that my mother has been a blessing to the workers at her residence. She's been a blessing to many of the residents. And somehow God has used me to bless other residents and their children.

I did walk out into a soft rain to go to my car. I love light raindrops falling about and on me. Cleansed.