Magical Moment 21, "In the Rain"

It’s been raining for 3 days now. Not the pretty kind of rain when the sun shines illuminating rays through holes in the dark clouds. Not even the exciting kind of rain when thunder and lightning fill the sky and make you feel all cozy and safe inside your house. Just typical gloomy, gray, muddy, and constant rain.

I put off running necessary errands, hoping the rain would eventually let up but it never did and now I had to drive all over town completing my procrastinated tasks in the rain. First was VA stuff (some left over eye problems from the Army), always a lengthy headache and usually accomplishing very little. And then another government agency interaction; trying to get my 5 month old paycheck for government contracted music I did last year and after five months, still not receiving it. Grocery shopping, the laundry mat (what kind of apartment doesn’t have a washer/dryer hookup?!), first of course I need to go to the ATM for cash and then change it into quarters, and more dog food. I drove my puppy to the vet and her wet muddy feet dirtied my car as she got in and out. My engine light came on for the 4^th time in 2 weeks. And $200 for 3 puppy shots? Really?!

Good grief, I thought, Why can’t things be simpler? Why can’t one of the mechanics who’ve looked at my car just fix it? Why does the stupid cat have to meow in my face at 6 o’ clock every morning? Why can’t my hair just naturally grow in Loreal Shade 68? Why can’t it stop raining or snowing for one day so I can get a decent run in? And wonderful, now the school bus in front of me stopped and I’m already late for work tonight. There was no point in trying to speed the rest of the way or pass slow moving cars. I was late.

As I anxiously waited for the child to step off the bus, I noticed a woman with a black umbrella rush out the front door of the house to meet the little boy. She was smiling uncontrollably and calling his name, barely able to control her excitement. The moment the little boy saw her, he ran to meet her the rest of the way. She may have been his mother, just back from a business trip. Maybe she was a close family friend or relative. Whoever she was, she loved the little boy very much, and he was ecstatic to see her. I slowly drove away, glancing in my rear view mirror. They hugged tightly for a long time in the rain and then she put her arm over his shoulder and walked him into the house, shielding them both with the black umbrella.

I guess if you’re willing to look for them, magical moments happen, even in the rain.

~

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le...

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-...

Search This Blog