Hanna ripped through town yesterday. By 7:00 p.m. she was completely gone. The sky had cleared and, except for some bedraggled leaves plastered onto the sidewalks, it was as if she had never been here.
This morning is sparkling clean. The air is fresh, the sky bright blue. The birds and squirrels have reappeared. It's a different world altogether.
Our species tends to look upon strong storms as terrible things, and yes, in terms of how how destructive they can be to us and to all of our precious constructions, they show no mercy (as if storms should be merciful ... hmmmm.)
But whenever I can think on a bigger scale than human, I see these storms as very cleansing, like huge detox mechanisms, cleaning earth and sky in the same way a bad cold clears the human body of toxins.
Metaphorically, too, at least in my life, change often comes in the form of a stormy period of destruction and release. During the destructive onset of change, I point my finger every which way (including towards myself), trying to figure out who to blame, but once the storm of change passes, I feel so much better, cleaner. Empty and peaceful, even, just like Washington DC this morning.
Farewell, Hanna - thanks for the crisp air and the sparkling sky, and for the reminder that life is dynamic, and that making changes to long-held patterns can be bombastic. Thank you so much!
6 comments:
I see storms the same way -- at least the kind we typically experience a bit inland in the midatlantic -- and the day after a big storm is so beautiful...however I also find myself quoting that Taxi Driver line to myself: "Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets." Not as uplifting as the rain actually makes me feel...
A beautiful photo; demarcation line between summer and fall, before and after . . .
a refreshing photo here!
ahhh we had a beautiful stormy night (we had to go out and play in it of course) and a lovely morning. A really sunny day-- the Chamber group at a local Festival today played a song to Hanna -- singing in the rain. It was mostly violins--and well done. Of course we lost power here and there and had some trees were uprooted, but overall, folks seemed to like the storm. It does feel cleansing.
yes, i'm all for changes to long-held patterns, it can definately be bombastic
(which is a good word)
Oh I love a good cathartic storm. And I am really enjoying your pics and posts.
Hanna seemed especially cleansing -- I think because she moved so fast, and the weather was so beautiful and fresh and clear after she swept through!
Post a Comment