No Job For A Sissy

We are in real need of rain in my neck of the woods, a good, old-fashioned, day-long rain. The farmers need it, the gardens need it, and the rivers need it. While we've been blessed for the last few weeks with the most gorgeous summer weather you could want, every good thing must come to an end for the good of others, in this case, our veggies, our flowers, and our waterways. It must be a real chore for Mother Nature to have to make those decisions. No matter what she chooses, someone is going to be pissed off at her. I don't think I'd want her job.

It's the same thing with winter. Nothing invigorates the body like a crisp, cold, winter day with the sun reflecting diamonds off the snow as we strike out for a hike, or walk a woodland path ... except those folks who hate having to shovel out their cars yet again, and the ice on the sidewalks, and the school delays, and, and, .....etc. Nope, I'm sure I wouldn't want her job, especially in the winter .... and yet ...

... and yet, I would like her job in the Autumn when she gets to go wild with her paint brush, splashing the trees with all the shades of crimson and gold that God created, against a pearly blue sky. I would like to have a hand in plumping up those pumpkins and squash just a little bit more before the harvest begins, and waving a wand to create the smell of apples turning ripe on the trees, ready to be turned into cider and pies! Oh, yes! 

Gee, when I think about it, having her job in the Spring would be the most awesome thing in the world as well! What a joy to poke the buds to come out of the trees, and the tips of the tulips and daffodils to peek out of the ground, when every shade of green comes out to play and She writes new songs for the birds to sing the season into being. 

Whew! No doubt about it, being Mother Nature is no job for a sissy. I'm wondering when she gets a chance to sit down and take a break ... could she even ever take a vacation? Not to mention that no matter what she does, someone somewhere is bound to complain. When you think about it, her job is pretty much like life itself, isn't it? We can't please all the people all of the time, so we might as well live our lives to please ourselves and remember to sit back once in a while and offer ourselves an occasional "Job Well Done!"  Even on a rainy day ... especially on a rainy day. On behalf of the well nourished veggies I'll be enjoying in the weeks to come, Mother Nature, may I congratulate you on a Job Well Done! 

And so it is.