A Day of Rain

Puddles! What a wonderful sight as I look out the raindrop covered skylight this morning. Yesterday I finished the last weed filled row in the garden and all the plants stood ready for the gentle rain to soak into the dry and dusty soil.I can almost see the corn and sunflowers growing in front of my eyes. I will take this wet day as a reprieve and a rest from the toil of maintaining my huge garden. I will return and there will be weeds to pull and rows to hoe. That is what I love to do on these summer days. Garden work and lake swims have replaced my wood road walks and I don't think my dogs are too happy about that. Disco still looses his mind when he sees me putting socks on and getting my sneakers. He barks his "we're going for our walk " bark until he realizes I am just going to the garden.This morning I thought of the walks I took with Dad last spring. Memories of those walks fill me with joy and sadness and so much thankfulness that we took the time to take those walks together. Very quickly the mobility that was improving in April deteriorated by mid July. He said it was as if he woke up an old man one day.I hear interviews of people who can not get in to care for their loved ones who are alone in special care homes during this Covid time and am so thankful Mom , Dad and Gladys did not have to go through this difficult time.On this rainy day I will regroup. I will clean and make lists of the tasks I must tackle this month. This month is a month of planning and anticipating our daughter's move. It is different than the summers before when I cared for Mom and Dad and made memories with Paige and Emma. But in some ways it is exactly the same. It is being present, putting effort into family and future. It is weeding and hoeing the garden that is life. It is taking the sunshine along with the showers. It is hope and optimism and reality. It is adaptation and acceptance. It is love, loyalty and good hard work believing in the bounty of the harvest.