Living in the Sun

“I like to spend time meditating on living like the sun every day.” – Jessi Butterfield

Living in the Sun

It was early in the morning and I was lying in my bed, with the blankets pulled up right to my ears.  The blankets were shielding me from the cool air that had crept into our house during the absence of the sun.  It was almost still.

Pitter, patter. . . pitter, patter.

“I love listening to the rain!” I inaudibly said, as I pulled the blankets, just that much tighter around my neck.

I lay there savoring the moment, drifting between sleep, memory, and awareness.

“When the rain falls, it falls on the whole field!”  YaYa Al-Digs’ voice echoed in my memory.

YaYa was the principal of International Corporation for Development and Construction in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the early 1990s.  I worked for him there, in what I still refer to as the “world’s great desert” to this very day.  We hardly ever saw rain on the Arabian Peninsula!  And, when we did, it was a wonderful event.  It was the same as a “pay day.”  It was always very rewarding when it came.

One day, when speaking with me about writing a large contract with a big client, YaYa reminded me of how a such a pay day was just like receiving rain from the sky.  “When the rain falls, it falls on the whole field!”  He said, as a commentary to describe how when someone from our firm brought money into the company, everyone would benefit.  His simple analogy forever changed my understanding of the indiscriminate, natural philosophy of rain.

Now, on this morning, I could still hear the pitter, patter of the rain, past my memory, on my roof, as they sun began to enlighten the world.  I was still dozing, a little, and remembered a conversation with my daughter, Jessi, just a couple of days, bygone.

“I like to spend time meditating on living like the sun every day.”  Jessi said.

Then, she went on to describe her observation that when the sun shines, it shines on everyone.  It doesn’t matter if they’re rich or poor, single or espoused, short or tall, healthy or ill.  When the sun shines, it makes everyone the richer!  Her simple analogy, and chosen way-of-life, to offer goodness to all, seemed, on this particular morning, to be the perfect companion to the indiscriminate, natural philosophy of rain.

“Whether it’s raining or the sun is shining, nature demonstrates an exemplary, rewarding way to live!”  I whispered to myself, as my chest warmed with the memory of such cherished relationships.

It was early in the morning and I was lying in my bed, with the blankets pulled up right to my ears.  The blankets were shielding me from the cool air that had crept into our house during the absence of the sun.  It was almost still, as the sun edged in, to join the moment.

Pitter, patter. . . pitter, patter.

“I love listening to the rain and seeing the sun rise, streaking, in pink blushes through the clouds!” I inaudibly said as I pulled the blankets just that much tighter around my neck.

I lay there savoring the moment, drifting between sleep, memory, and a new-found awareness of the perfect, indiscriminate, natural philosophy of rain and sun.  Choosing to live by nature’s demonstrated example, is indeed, a most rewarding way to live!”