I woke early this morning to the sound of thunder and rain outside my bedroom window. Last week we received over 13 inches of rain. Our road was temporarily closed when the stream spilled over its banks, and there are some houses built on a hill in Beloit, the nearest city to us, that are in danger of washing down the hill due to erosion from the recent rains. The scene looks more like one from a California mudslide than a southern Wisconsin neighborhood. It would be an understatement to say that it is wet out here. By the time I woke up and realized that it was raining again, all I could do is smile and accept it. In fact, that is all I can ever do.
Sometimes I can delude myself into thinking I have more control over what happens to me than I actually do. The truth is, I only have control over how I react. It is indeed raining today, and I cannot hope to get a piece of equipment into the field to begin fall preparations today. I cannot plant wheat for next year yet, because the fields are wet. Moisture related diseases and flooding have been attacking the remaining crops that we have this year. Yet, I am not only at peace, but I am also happy.
I feel gratitude as I drink my coffee and write this note for the week. Everyone I love is safe today, and all of my needs are met. My dogs are lying next to me right now, and the sun is even trying to come out. I just heard a flock of geese moving from the field to the pond behind us, and I am reminded of the simple pleasures I am afforded in this agrarian life. Soon I will be eating my breakfast and playing with my grandson when he wakes up. He has been looking forward to helping fix something all week. I recognize the beautiful and fortunate life in which I find myself. If I live in the present, I can see that everything is not just alright today but that my life is a beautiful gift. There is nothing more I could ask for. So, I will find something that needs fixing, and when Toretto, my 3 year-old grandson, wakes up, we will repair it. I can’t think of a better way to spend a wet Sunday morning!