Tag: Rain

Dancing in the rain and laughing with joy….

Blogging, Kim Koning, Notes on Wrestling The Muse
Dancing in the rain
Image by 6U5 via Flickr

The 15th of October is Blog Action Day. This year’s Blog Action is all about WATER.

Water is the one universal element that all forms of life on earth need. Whether you are a Human Being, an animal, a bird, a fish, a reptile, plant or soil; Water is the one element that nothing can survive without. Water is the one element that unites all creatures.

I have lived in two countries. My birth country is South Africa and my current country is New Zealand. Although these countries have elements that bond them in similarity, the greatest difference between these two countries is Water. South Africa is a land that can go from flooding to drought at a rapid rate. Although as a country of Africa, South Africa is elemently well off when it comes to water. Many countries in Africa have very little water and if they do have water the water is unsanitary. This has been one of the reasons that Africa has always struggled in its survival. But this is also the reason that water is so precious to the people of Africa.

In New Zealand, on the other hand, water is plentiful. Water is also exceptionally clean, pure and sanitary in this green land. Often times it is easier to take the presence of clean water for granted when you live in a country like New Zealand. There are even times when one gets tired of “another rainy day”. I am always deeply aware when people complain about too much rain that some places, indeed many places, in this world never have “enough” rain let alone “too much” rain.

Water is a life-giving force that powers this planet. But Water can also be destructive. One only need look back at the past decade to see the destructive forces of Water.

Water also has a spiritual element in many cultures across the globe. Water is depicted as a cleansing element both physically and spiritually.

For myself, water has always been precious. I find inspiration through water: being by the sea, watching a waterfall, listening to the pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof, watching the magnificence of a rain thunder-storm. Water fuels creativity and philosophy. It brings out a soulful element.

I traveled to Dubai last year and was struck by how precious water really is. I was relieved to be travelling to a country where there would not be a constant downpour of rain. I thought I needed some sunshine and dry weather. On my third day there, there was a thunderstorm. Coming from New Zealand, this did not seem unusual for me. But that day I was struck by the attitude of gratitude and wonder from the people all around me. Children were dancing in the streets with their heads lifted up to the sky in adoration and adulation. People were laughing and happy. It seemed that all of the city of Dubai ran out to sing and dance in the rain. It brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. The joy all around me was infectious. The rain lasted for three days. There were even some parts of the UAE which experienced flooding. But the people were happy. In a place of desert sands of 7 different colours, there was a joyous gratitude for this rare sustenance falling from the heavens. In that place, I realised more than ever, what a blessing water and rain truly is. It was a sobering moment for me. I will never forget the dancing people of all ages just being happy to be able to dance in the rain.

So next time it rains…take a moment to truly cherish it. Toss aside your umbrella and your rain coat. Go outside and dance in the rain. There is nothing more liberating than dancing in the rain. The next time you pour yourself a glass of water, take a moment before you drink it. Give thanks that you live in a place that takes it for granted that if you are thirsty, or you want to cook, or you want to clean; it is as easy to make this happen as turning on a tap. Take a moment to remember that there are many more places in the world where people have to walk for many miles to get to water. Even then that water may be unsanitary. The next time it rains, stop before you complain about “another” rainy day and remember that in some places a rainy day only happens once a year.

Cherish water. Give thanks for rain. Be grateful if you are within walking distance of a beach, a river, a lake or a dam.

Let us all take a moment to dance in the rain and laugh with joy. Rain is a blessing. Don’t take it for granted. Don’t complain. Just think, you could be living in a place where rain is so rare that it is cause for celebration and wonder.

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…

it’s learning to dance in the rain.”

© All rights reserved Kim Koning

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