The Thunderstorm

         Why am I comforted by thunderstorms?  Carl sat back in his rocking chair.  The front porch was perfect for watching thunderstorms roll in from the west.  He picked up his beer and took a swig.  The salty taste brought a sense of calmness over him, relieving his thirst he had built up over the past hour of mowing the lawn.  He could see the ominous, black clouds swell in the distance.  Thunder rumbled from beyond and gently shook the front porch.  Bongo, his yellow lab, looked up at Carl with concerned eyes.

         “Oh, not to fret Bongo.  It’s only thunder.”  Carl reached down and gave the lab a friendly pat on the head.  Bongo laid his head back down between his front paws and watched out from the front porch.

         A gentle breeze swept along the porch, carrying the scent of rain along with it.  The mixture of the rain-to-come along with the freshly cut lawn brought an overwhelming sense of peace over Carl.  A genial smile came to his face.  He closed his eyes and leaned back into his rocking chair, allowing his whole being to relax.

         The time between the thunder kept getting shorter and shorter.  Lightning flashed across the sky, as scattered raindrops began falling from above, creating a random pattern of dots along the sidewalk.  It wouldn’t be long before the storm had arrived.

         The wind picked up, gusting through the treetops, causing them to sway in a hypnotic dance.  Now and then, raindrops were carried along the wind and landed on Carl’s face and arms.  He didn’t bother to wipe them away.  He just sat there allowing the cool drops to roll down and evaporate back into the air.

         Memories of Carl’s childhood started playing in his mind.  His father had always loved thunderstorms too.  He remembered the two of them sitting on the back deck and watching them roll in.  That was so many years ago.  So much life had been lived since those days, so many different phases of his life had transpired.  Who would have ever imagined that Carl would be where he is today?  He had certainly dreamed of it and had worked towards it. 

        Most people thought he was crazy.  He was crazy.  Sometimes, crazy is what it takes to get you to where you want to be.  You just have to be brave enough to be crazy.  Carl was brave enough, but if you asked him, he would tell you that he didn’t feel brave at all.  He felt foolish.  He never really knew if what he was doing would work out.  He wasn’t sure how to go about it, but every day, he showed up.  He showed up and did his work. 

        Carl had made a deal with the Universe.  He told Her what he wanted out of this Life.  He had no idea how to do it, but he was willing to do whatever it took.  The Universe whispered in his ear, that if he would show up and become the man deserving of such a Life that She would take care of everything else.

        They Both delivered as promised.

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