Sunday, July 11, 2010

Storm Bubbles and Water Balloon Fights

 Last night’s midnight sky crackled with lightning, thunder and rain. Tiny calling cards were left this morning and almost went unnoticed. The sun moved around the evergreen trees, like a parade watcher shifting to get a better view of the floats, and pointed to them. Tiny glistening droplets on the grass were now obvious inside the sun’s pointer.

I chuckled to myself as I thought of them as storm bubbles. Perhaps after their festivities and fireworks the storm clouds gathered to blow bubbles and relax after a long night. Or, better yet, maybe the moon and stars, upstaged by the storms, had a water balloon fight and these were droplets of laughter. The blades of grass were beautifully adorned. I had to wonder if there were more. Scurrying around to the side of the house, to my delight I found more. Resting on blooms at the end of their seasons, were more storm bubbles, more droplets of laughter.

In an hour or so the droplets were gone. The sun’s pointer was too intense, though I think she meant no harm. Or, could that have been the day’s lesson? Tiny storm bubbles, droplets of laughter glistening in the sun are so easily unnoticed or crushed beneath our feet and wiped off on the door mat. But, if you notice, if you listen to the pauses and notice nature’s pointer, what stories you can create. Stories like storm bubbles and water balloon fights between storm clouds and the moon and stars. Simple delights. Simple touches. Simple hellos.

 They are moments to be noticed and remembered as the day and seasons march onward. They lasted on the grass and blooms but an hour. In my mind, throughout the day, I still see storm clouds with their plastic bottles and dippers blowing bubbles and droplets of laughter during a water balloon fight. I notice my feet as they walk. And I cast a wary eye to the sky, just in case there is water balloon still lurking. Nature does love to laugh.



[also posted on my blog]