Respite is the thing we all crave at times. Too much of a good thing is still, when all’s said and done, too much. Having spent the majority of my life in climes of plentiful cloud and rain, I was quite pleased to experience the practically perpetual sunshine of north Texas, but learned that with it can come garden-blighting and spirit-dampening heat and even drought, so when it rains, as much as it might make a few things more inconvenient or messy, it can also make my heart glad.
And the way that the leaves plump up, flowers loosen and uncurl their fists and stalks and stems stretch instantly taller toward the sky, it’s also easy to see that the garden rejoices. It’s as though all of nature around me is sighing and relaxing every tensed-up, coiled tight thing with grateful relief.
A moment of quiet in the heart of a rushed day or a busy week is rain for my spirits as well. Whatever the cause of the busyness, however pleasurable the things that do clamor for my attentions, I find that a brief pause to lower the speed of thought, to quiet the relentless insistence of life’s siren calls and cool the heat of its demands–this one small thing–has wonderful power to relieve and renew me, too.
This is how I remember the kindness of the rain in the midst of unyielding heat, the shelter of low clouds that break the relentless glaring sun. And I look for my tiny bits of solace in a meditative mode, feeding my roots and encouraging me to let go, expand, release the tensions I am in and carry on, better able again to bloom and grow.
Art-Colored Glasses 
Isn’t it incredible how a garden can come to life after the rain. I love the smell of the earth after it has rained and to see the droplets on the plants. It’s almost as if you can hear the soil sigh with relief after it has been dry for a long while.
Have a beautiful and happy week ahead Kath.
🙂 Mandy xoxo
May your week be rich with joy and loveliness, too, my sweet!
Love,
Kath
I love that color! I am sure you know that for whatever reason , there are no blue flowers so the lavender / iris and these purples become more enchanting!
I’m so delighted you enjoyed them. 🙂 But there *are* some flowers that come pretty darn close to real blue. Amazing the way nature works! https://kiwsparks.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/am-i-blue/
Nice images and could not agree more. MM 🍀
Glad you liked the images. I’ll be watching yours!
A bit like the rain then, allowing you to keep growing x
Indeed, indeed!
xoxo
Beautiful writing, beautiful photos. Thank you. 😀
Thanks so much for coming by here, Laura! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Again, just beautiful – on a very cold (with even a little snow on the ground) day in Western New York, this is just the warming needed! And this is quite quite lovely:
‘… the way that the leaves plump up, flowers loosen and uncurl their fists and stalks and stems stretch instantly taller toward the sky, it’s also easy to see that the garden rejoices.’ XO ♥
Your kind presence warms me far more than any garden beauties can do.
xoxo!
Me thinks if you lived on the moon, flowers would too, so very soon…
I rather like the idea, now you mention it! Being moonstruck and all…