Embracing the Beauty of Contrasts

When I was about 13 years old, there was heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning. My elder sister was not with us at that time as she had recently gotten married. Being someone who is always scared of natural calamities, I clung to my dad, lamenting that if we were all to perish, only my sister would be left to mourn alone for our loss. My father always used to tease me about that incident. Though years have passed, my fear of thunder has not diminished. During last week's rains, I had to opt turning on the fans and increasing the television volume so that the thunder sound is a little less. On top of that, I had to call my sister and aunt to help me manage my fear. In spite of my lingering fear of thunder and lightning, I find great joy in rain as it instantly uplifts my spirit, bringing me comfort and rejuvenation. It is paradoxical that in order to enjoy the rain, I must also confront my fear of thunder. What is the key takeaway from this?  The reflection is that we often must confront our fears and challenges to fully appreciate the beauty and joy in life. My persistent fear of thunder and the love for rain is an example of how fear and beauty can coexist. My favorite quote goes like this, "My life isn’t good or bad. It’s an incredible series of emotional and mental extremes, with beautiful thunderstorms and stunning sunrises." - Jaeda DeWalt. Life is a mix of good and bad, joy and sadness, love and hate, success and failure, hope and despair, peace and conflict, life and death, rain and sunshine.   When we accept that life is a series of ever-changing moments, we can begin to see challenges as opportunities. This will equip you to handle life with a better perspective. So, in our lives, whenever the thunder roars, let us seek refuge under the wings of faith, knowing it will cease when the clouds pass by. and when the raindrops descend, may we welcome them with open arms, appreciating the serenity and the joy it brings. "May we all be blessed with gentle showers of blessings, awakening our spirits and refreshing our souls."