School is starting up again in a matter of days, and while the calendar may say otherwise, that signals the end of summer to me. Summer and children home are one and the same in my mind.
As far as summer goes, this one has been odd. In some parts of the US it has been hot and dry, fueling the wildfires that are raging right now. For us it has been unusually rainy. And when it has rained, it's not the typical drizzle, it's a downpour producing four inches or so in an hour or two.
I have become attuned to the indoor sound and sense of the rain. It comes on with an ominous feeling that gradually engulfs the room. And only at the last do you realize what has transpired, prompting the light switch to be turned on and the curtains opened to discover the darkening skies beyond.
Before any sound reaches your ears you see the far off lightning, and the lines of rain playing dot-to-dot from sky to ground. You know what's coming and you are powerless to stop it or avoid it. You close windows and unplug computers. You find flashlights to be at the ready, checking to make sure batteries still work. And then it hits.
Even downstairs you can hear the drops pounding on the windows or the ground outside. The gutters on the roof are overwhelmed and water pours straight down in large torrents. From downstairs you check the windows for water and are relieved to see them hold.
And for me, when I know I am safe, I stop what I am doing to watch. Sometimes I go to the front porch to see the flashes and hear the echoing thunder, drawing closer and closer with each bolt. I feel the wet heavy air and even under the protective porch I still feel the rain as it splashes in front of me. I am in awe. I am powerless and small, and I marvel.
There is a Higher Power at work here.
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