The Whole Trail

Today is sloppy, muddy and filled with liquid sunshine. A relentless, seemingly, downpour of moisture from above has filled the trail with more than a few slippery obstacles. Roads are plagued with standing water, rivers and streams are spilling beyond capacity and the trail, well, there's more water here than it can drink today.

I love being in the rain. Only the craziest are willing to venture out this morning and of course I'm one of them. The trail welcomes us with a melody of rat-a-tat-tats from above and slosh, splash, splats from below. The symphony continues as drops dance upon the remaining leaves and bounce with delight in every newly created stream, puddle and indented footprint. Where the water is shallow enough to simply be muddy, Jazzy's paw prints remain, captured in the muck like clay, her

toes mark our journey and are immortalized for a short time. While I am concerned about how dirty my pant legs are going to be, she is unaware of this human problem and happily trotts ahead, leaving cute paw prints in her wake and I cannot help but smile at this adorable sight.

We are offered advice to "save for a rainy day", meaning some preparation for less than ideal circumstances or situations. Those setbacks in life that come along unexpectedly. Without the rain, there are no plants, no trees, no animals, no us, no life. Saving for a rainy day slaps a negative and incorrect lable onto these life giving drops and they deserve better. Rainy days allow us to slow down, drive more cautiously and linger longer inside. We utilize this time to relax a bit, start a puzzle, read by the fire, try out a new recipe, work on that inside project, call a friend.

The trail is not quiet today, but it is very, very peaceful. The sounds, smells and experience on a rainy walk are intoxicating. The forest is in receiving mode; drinking, absorbing and imbibing in the life-giving river from above. Feeling blessed to partake in and witness this exchange of energy, I am grateful for these days, too. Together we offer thanks and appreciation.

Rain should be experienced and felt. Unlike the wicked witch, we will not melt. Go outside, get drenched. Walk, sing, dance or simply stand in the rain. Feel it upon your face, your hands, your hair. Squish your toes in the mud. (Hey, people pay good money in fancy pants salons for this service!) Do you know how great it will feel to then get warm, dry and cozy? The universal law of polarity rings so true in this example. The contrast is needed to appreciate the sweetness of both. I've been caught in rain storms on my bicycle and jumping into a swimming pool is the only comparison I can reasonably make. The transition from soggy and downright miserable to toasty and comfortable is a delectable feeling I cannot forget.

Avoiding the hard work will delay success. Skipping the workout leaves me with a tinge of guilt after that over-indulgent meal or pumpkin cheesecake. Spending a lazy day on the couch without the contrast of some muddy pant legs renders the experience a bit flat. I only get half of a credit for participation. I didn't make a commitment to be fully involved. I only wanted the "good" half.

Life isn't sunshine and roses all the time and would you really want that? Boring, monotonous, dull, stagnent. So, grab your raingear and get out there. Rain is beautiful and metaphorically, rain is where we find joy. The uncomfortable, hard shit, serves us and amplifies the beauty of the comfort, the easy, the success. We need both and when you step willingly into the difficult, into the fear, into the awkward aspects of living, they provide a type of empowerment and enjoyment in their own right. You know how great the other side of the pole will feel. You did the hard stuff, rather enjoyed it, and get to reap the benefits. It's all good, it all has it's purpose. It's what they mean by the fullness of life.

So, leave some paw prints in the mud and live both halves of your life. The holes you may be feeling will disappear into the wholeness of living.