Two Things
My father is dying.
So many days, I am just trying to balance the fullness of life with this fact.
Today we had the most wonderful storm. First there was some rumbly thunder, then big crackling thunderbolts and a stream - I called it an exodus - of people off the beach. Golf carts and hand carts full of bright towels and chairs and toys and kids. Bikes and flip flops slapping. Black clouds rolled in over the mountain and it was magnificent, with lightning bolts over the lake so close that there was no separation between the sight and the sound. Then the really cool part began. First, it just looked like a wisp of white at the far end of the lake. A friend commented that I should go get my camera, and I said I've tried to get that wispy shot a thousand times and it's never really that good on film. But then, the white got bigger. The end of the lake started to disappear. I ran in a grabbed my camera, heading over the neighbor's lawn to get pictures as the white swallowed the whole far shoreline. Bit by bit it turned into almost black water and this white wall. I snapped shots like crazy, wind whipping, and my equally crazy wonderful middle daughter stood there with me cackling, running back to the house each time the lightning cracked and then back out to me. Gone gone gone, up the lake it came, white and heavy. Then we ran inside just as the edge came over, and it was hail, pounding raging hail, a big wall of hail. It blew all the way through the porch and Elisabeth kept sneaking out to grab some to eat.
Later, when it was quiet again, we all went for a walk and stepped in the puddles. Alexandra carried her new Hello Kitty slippers in her arms the whole way because she wasn't allowed to wear them outside. We went to the park and the sun came out, and Elisabeth swung happily and made up a song about eating hail and how much she loves being here.
Some days, despite it all, all can be well.
So many days, I am just trying to balance the fullness of life with this fact.
Today we had the most wonderful storm. First there was some rumbly thunder, then big crackling thunderbolts and a stream - I called it an exodus - of people off the beach. Golf carts and hand carts full of bright towels and chairs and toys and kids. Bikes and flip flops slapping. Black clouds rolled in over the mountain and it was magnificent, with lightning bolts over the lake so close that there was no separation between the sight and the sound. Then the really cool part began. First, it just looked like a wisp of white at the far end of the lake. A friend commented that I should go get my camera, and I said I've tried to get that wispy shot a thousand times and it's never really that good on film. But then, the white got bigger. The end of the lake started to disappear. I ran in a grabbed my camera, heading over the neighbor's lawn to get pictures as the white swallowed the whole far shoreline. Bit by bit it turned into almost black water and this white wall. I snapped shots like crazy, wind whipping, and my equally crazy wonderful middle daughter stood there with me cackling, running back to the house each time the lightning cracked and then back out to me. Gone gone gone, up the lake it came, white and heavy. Then we ran inside just as the edge came over, and it was hail, pounding raging hail, a big wall of hail. It blew all the way through the porch and Elisabeth kept sneaking out to grab some to eat.
Later, when it was quiet again, we all went for a walk and stepped in the puddles. Alexandra carried her new Hello Kitty slippers in her arms the whole way because she wasn't allowed to wear them outside. We went to the park and the sun came out, and Elisabeth swung happily and made up a song about eating hail and how much she loves being here.
Some days, despite it all, all can be well.
posted by me at 6:14 PM
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