We had a bit of excitement midday on Tuesday. Right in the middle of an otherwise uneventful day, thunder clouds rumbled over the Seed. At first the thunder seemed far away, but then it closed in on us, requiring students to come in from the playground. Our safety policy states that in the event of thunder and/or lightning, all students must come inside. For awhile it seemed that the thunder had passed when the sun came out again. We were able to let the second recess move outside; but before long, the thunder returned, and students were back inside the building. It was a slight inconvenience, and we adapted and went on with the day.
As I write this, the thunder is just now materializing into a storm in our location. Sprinkles of water are accumulating and running down the building’s drainage system. Thunder becomes louder as clouds in the eastern sky approach our school, then later it appears that the dark clouds will bypass the Seed. I do wonder how we’ll handle our pickup procedures in the event that it’s raining at 3:00. No doubt, we’ll figure it out.
Except for things like recess restrictions and temporary procedural adjustments, I always enjoy a good thunderstorm. Living in the desert for a good chunk of my life, thunderstorms have always represented the life-giving potential of water. I love the excitement of lightning and thunder, and often feel invigorated by falling rain. I appreciate what the rain does for my garden, and how it replenishes our dry desert land. The recent drastic decline in water levels in places like Lake Powell, Lake Mead, and the Colorado River makes me even more appreciative of any storms that leave water in the Southwest.
Today’s thunder clouds ended up not leaving much water at the Seed. Hopefully, somewhere else not too far away received the precious drops. While the thunder was a fun diversion today, it’s rain we need. I hope, for Planet Earth’s future, we receive water in ways that nurture our world, rather that destroy it. It will be key for the amount of healing we all need to do.