It’s been raining for days. I’m driving along a rural highway admiring the visual gifts, namely the multiple waterfalls being formed simply by water cascading down slight inclines of land. My mind wanders and settles on the cleansing effect of rain on the earth. For me, the metaphorical thoughts inherently follow.
As the miles pass, I notice the scorched landscape that had been burned by a rampant wildfire, months before. The trees look forlorn as they reach toward the sky with their unscathed branches while their burned trunks tell the story. The grass is only a memory left by a smoky black trail. Somehow though, at that moment, the rain seems to promise a glistening future by lighting up the dark stretch of devastation.
It is proven that a lightly burned section of land, when given life-giving water, can be renewed and flourish. This can only be attributed to roots that extend deeper than the visible damage combined with the chemical compound change effect of the soil.
And now, I feel it…the metaphorical cleansing effect of the rain. It beats down with an incessant rhythm lulling me into the hope of a future. So many times, I have been beaten down by the fires…and feel I can only show a dark trail of pain. But then, the rain comes, and my boughs reach for the sky; making it clear that my roots are still intact. It is at this time, I believe I can flourish from my new soil.
-Erika K Rothwell