Rain & Renewal

I woke up last Wednesday to a deluge beating against the skylights.

The kind of fast and furious Pacific Northwest rain that, these days, only seems to appear a handful of times per year—and is one of my favourite weather expressions.

Despite we humans having done much to distance ourselves from the natural world, we require connection to nature to thrive—which is one of the reasons why I love living where I do. Stepping outside my door and seeing only trees is a treasured joy, and the desire to live more in sync with the natural world was one of my driving reasons for moving from Amsterdam to my forested homeland of the Comox Valley.

As I listened to the rain make music against glass and ground, watched the big ‘ol drops make the leaves in the garden and on trees dance, while inhaling the delightful aromas being released from the earth after a hot, dry summer, there was a palpable sense of renewal in the air. How welcome, how encouraging, how lovely.

In concert with committing to Turning the Page and the beginning of a personal new year, the rain felt symbolic of a new chapter beginning, of a cleansing of the mind and purifying of the spirit—all so welcome, as I laid in bed absorbing the rain’s sensory delights through the open window.

As I’ve shared in past Whimsies, I’ve grown weary of writing for other people’s projects. Thus, I’m on an adventure to figure out how I can make earning an income fun, playful, and lucrative—and the pieces are slowly falling into place.

Picking up my proverbial pen again in writing these Whimsies was the first step.

Last Week in Formula 1 is another piece of the puzzle.

And I’ll be sharing the next one with you soon.

With love from the forest,

~ Alexander