A Year of Gratitude – August 26, 2024

I found my gratitude in the rain this morning. I had just finished my morning round of chores. I was walking back towards the farmhouse through the garden when the raindrops began to fall.

I stood under the cattle panel trellis and watched as the raindrops fell on the tomato plant leaves above me. Very little of the rain came through. I stayed nearly dry while listening to the rhythmic sound of the raindrops falling above.

After a few minutes, I walked through the trellis, out of its cover and towards the door to the farmhouse. On my way, I passed the zinnias my mom and I planted there months ago. They’ve really hit their stride in the last few weeks, growing taller and putting forth new and colorful blooms.

This deep red zinnia was painted with rain. The petals looked shiny as if they had been lacquered by hand. I watched as the bloom swayed on its tall stem with each raindrop that landed on its leaves.

The rain was washing away the dirt and dust on each of these petals. It was leaving each one of them shiny and new. I stood for a moment, taking a deep breath and allowing myself to consider that the raindrops were doing the same for me. They were washing away yesterday and preparing me for a new day and week ahead. That was something to feel very grateful for.

This post is part of our A Year of Gratitude Series. You can find the introduction, inspiration, and entire year’s gratitude’s posts here.