"Noise is not expressive, as music and natural sounds are. We hear the bark of a dog, and nature is present to us. The howl of a wolf or coyote somewhere near the horizon contributes to the enchantment of a quiet night. Raindrops on a roof or windowsill also put us in touch with nature and may lure us into reverie or reflection. But walk past a delivery truck just as the door is slammed shut, or pass a work crew breaking up concrete, or walk in front of a car when its dissonant horn blows intrusively, and you know the jarring effect of noise.”

~ Excerpt from The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life, Thomas Moore

Today I heard the rain, I saw the rain, I felt the rain. I walked without Charlie after my swim. My daughter took him with her in her car, and he was nowhere to be found when I got back from my swim. The river was pelted and swirling with raindrops. The ice is virtually absent. Today, my swim left me feeling strong and full of energy. I also felt a swirling of emotion, happiness, worry, sadness, guilt. A whole range of emotions can surface in a single day, and I move through them all, they are constantly changing. While I am walking, and at other times of the day when I am feeling disturbed, I am remembering the wisdom of Thich Nhat Hahn in his book, “Peace is Every Step,” which I’ve been listening to on my walks. He reminds me to smile, and to appreciate washing the dishes just for the sake of washing the dishes. My daughter called me later from her office/room and asked if I had taken Charlie out for a walk because he was in her room and restless and bored. I laughed. And decided to take Charlie for his walk in the rain too, since I had had mine, and he was grateful, and so was I, to have peace in my steps again to the river and back.