Ontario Storm
Be Still
It looks like a simple picture but there’s actually a lot going on here.
Pull up a chair and enjoy the view. Imagine yourself sitting here and relaxing. Take some deep breaths and just let yourself be right here.
Read
Sometimes it’s hard for me to take these pictures at face value as you will be doing because I have a memory attached to them.
This is one of those times. But I’m sure I’m not the only one who recognizes the feeling in the air as a storm approaches.
The disturbance and the brewing.
The stirring and rolling.
The grandness and beauty.
Nature can be overwhelming .
My reflection:
I love storms – mostly. I am energized by the wildness of nature and the reminder that I’m one small part observing something much bigger.
I love the crack of thunder that follows racing bolts of lightning.
I love pouring rain and even blizzards.
I love them especially when I’m safely tucked inside my home.
I have a limit though. For me, it’s all beauty and majesty and the exciting reminder that nature is so… other. And wild and big. And great.
Until the wind gets out of control.
I grew up in southwestern Ontario where we have experienced the occasional tornado.
I know what the sky looks like and the air feels like when there is a tornado nearby.
I know what it’s like to see a bale of hay thrown thirty feet in the air.
I know what it’s like to see the floor of the dining room bubble up with the air pressure.
And, I know what it’s like to hide in the basement and listen to every creak and groan of the house, wondering what is going to happen next.
So as much as I am completely exhilarated by electrical storms or snow storms, I do NOT love high winds. I get a sick panicked feeling in the pit of my stomach that nothing will soothe.
I am not fearless. None of us are. We all have fears and we all have coping mechanisms.
How do you cope when life gets uncertain?
During the changing seasons of life, when there are a lot of moving pieces that you can’t control, are you afraid or exhilarated?
I know this is unusual but I actually love change.
I like the creative process that happens during transitional times of life. Times of reinvention and reorganizing and dreaming of possibilities. But just like the storm, I like it to a point.
Finding your footing after having a baby, watching your kids go off to school (kindergarten or college), navigating changing careers or relationships, these things are not easy. Especially if the changes are out of your control and loss is inevitable. These are hard times and they are difficult to embrace. Sometimes the best we can do is batten down the hatches and wait. And hope. And breathe.
When things swirl with uncertainty it’s hard to take our eyes off of the potential danger and the movement. The threatening storm is what makes us want to avoid change at all costs. But we can’t. Change cannot be avoided. You can try to resist it, but it’s exhausting and futile.
Is there a change happening in your life that can’t be resisted? It’s ok to grieve.
What can you acknowledge today that is moving through your life like a force of nature? How can you prepare rather than resist?
What kind of creativity can you bring to bear on the situation?
Look back at the photo.
While I’m captivated by all the movement in the sky I also see some other things.
The trees are large and strong and deeply rooted.
Even the grass and flowers in the foreground bend and sway but are not likely to be uprooted.
The most hopeful part for me is that field. The storm is looming and uncertain but the crop has already been brought in. That part has been planted, tended, matured, and harvested. It can’t be touched.
Write
During times of transition it’s easy to be focused on what’s unstable and precarious.
Be sure to take some time to observe and write down all the things that are stable, already prepared for, and naturally unchanging.
Sit with this picture for a while and feel the storm rolling in.
How do you feel?
Are you exhilarated or afraid?
Do you love storms or hate them? Why?
