The Pouring Rain

If there's one thing that I've learned in life, it's that with the arrival of clouds comes the pouring of rain. And that when the rains comes pouring down, the results can go either way. The oldest ideas of rain paint refreshing pictures in your mind of great cleansing and deep relief. Because the idea of rain, is that it comes when the time is just right, and arrives when the environment is suitable and the land yearns for the drink of its sublime, refreshing taste.

But the coming rain can sometimes bring with it a powerful storm, mighty enough to bring down strong towers and lay waste to the land. For with the coming rain can come the perilous flood, washing everything in its wake clean away. Today that storm arrived in my life, completely unexpected, and certainly at the worst possible time. Then again, I suppose the environment was certainly suitable, and the dry doldrum of a busy schedule may have been beckoning for a bit of drama in my life. The worst storms are the ones that meet, the ones that come from two completely opposite directions of the land and come together in a great, big clash of thunder and lightning.

Two very good friends of mine were arriving in the country today, completely unexpected, and neither one of them knowing of the other's arrival. Both having left for mutual reasons, and now both having arrived for the same. For now we'll call them Kate and Sue. They were both very good friends until Kate decided to become very good friends with Sue's ex-boyfriend. After discovering the spark, Sue then pursued to ignite the old flame between herself and the ex. Needless to say both sparks ignited at the same time, and resulted in both of them leaving the country the first time. Now they came back and both contacted me for coffee, which reluctantly I agreed to. Now it was all worked out perfectly, according to me. I was to see Kate on Saturday morning, and Sue in the afternoon. Tip: Never trust the weather channel - they lied to me!

I could have predicted how well things could have gone, right down to the sunshine or showers. But here's the thing about a coming storm, they can change in an instant when the wind suddenly decides to blow a different way, which is what Kate did. She couldn't make the morning appointment and called my assistant to reschedule. My assistant who then checked the schedule and told her that I already had an appointment with Sue. Kate called Sue to find out if it were true, and to find out why I never told either one about the other. So between themselves they tried negotiating which of the two would get the afternoon appointment with me. I suppose it's pointless saying that neither one would give in, so guess what? The next phone call was to me - from both of them. After a huge disagreement with both, I decided to call them in for coffee at the same time. After the awkward silence and the childish sneers and comments, I explained that they are my best friends and that nothing in the whole world was seriously worth losing a friendship over. So now Saturday is on...with all three of us.

As I said...with the coming rain it can go either way. Either the storm will come and tear down everything, or the polite showers will simply water down a dry and thirsty land. But one thing you can bet on, is that when the storm has passed and the rain is gone, the sun will come, and the land will once again be refreshed. That all the dirt and the grime will be washed away, making way for new growth and a few extraordinary things.