IMG_3794The sky seemed to darken with clouds.  Then a flash of light, followed shortly by the rumble of thunder.  Over the next several minutes, the lightning and thunder got closer and closer, and giant drops of rain fell, pattering on the skylight.  The cool air and smell of rain greeted me as I wandered out on the front porch.  Rain!  After weeks of hot, dry weather and horrific wildfires, to actually see rain, over a half inch of it, fall out of the sky felt so welcome.  I continued to gaze out the window watching puddles form in our driveway and a small seep stream down the side of the house.  It felt like such a relief.

A part of me did the “if only” game remembering that just a week ago, smoke filled the air as the Cold Springs wildfire raged through our neighborhood.  Why couldn’t we have gotten this rain then?  But of course, it’s a futile task to look back and regret the past.  Still, I’m thankful for the rain, as I know despite our house surviving the fire, we are still at risk.  In fact, by Colorado standards, we are at risk for wildfire for at least another 2 1/2 months or so.  So any kind of precipitation falling from the sky makes it a good day.  And a good day seems so welcome after 10 days of despair.

After our rainstorm ended this evening, a rainbow graced the sky against the dark clouds.  I’ve been so down in the dumps and in despair since the fire started, despite being able to return to a home still standing.  It’s been as if the experience of going through the trauma of evacuation and seeing friends in tears over losing their homes had taken something from me.  The normal joy I have each day of coming home to mountain cabin was gone.  Seeing the green, yellow and red band arc over my head softened my heart just a little.  It reminded me that we only see rainbows after going through a storm.  And what a storm our tiny mountain town has gone through in the last two weeks.  And it gave me hope.

Hope that better times lie ahead.  Hope that the people who lost their homes will meet the challenges ahead.  Hope that all of us so traumatized by the fire can and will be healed over time.  Hope that I’ll be able to laugh again.  Hope that I will feel safe in my home again.  Hope that I will feel content and serenity living in my mountain community of Nederland.  Still feeling heaviness in my heart as I got up today, what I needed more than anything was hope.

” May God give you…

For every storm, a rainbow,

For every tear, a smile,

For every care, a promise,

And a blessing in each trial.

For every problem life sends,

A faithful friend to share,

For every sigh, a sweet song,

And an answer for each prayer.”

~ Old Irish Blessing

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