Rain

The weather here in DC Metropolitan area is rather gloomy, with occasional showers mounting up to a brief storm and rain that don't fall vertically but almost horizontally. This is the kind of weather that I somehow loathe and adore. Loathe simply because it resonates within me the dark memories/ emotions that I thought I have safely stow away. Adore because at the very same time, this weather is rather freeing. In the midst of wild thunders and pounding rain, there is a sense of renewal, as if while nature ferociously cleanse the earth of impurities, so changes my soul's scenery. The rhythmical pattering of rain drops is rather soothing, and the coolness in the air offers a different kind of zest that the constant sunshine don't seem to bring. Perhaps I am strange, but I do enjoy moments in the rain, admiring how the earth and sky which were once separated are united by these broken lines of water falling down. It serves to remind us that the sky is indeed within reach. Just as the water falling upon us once originate from the earth, so are we capable of soaring high. The earth and sky is not that far away, if it can be connected by rain, how many more of our dreams that we have now are truly unattainable?

The path towards our desires may often be unclear, discrete; but if we be patient, and wade through the storms, seeking out the millions of strands of rain that fall upon us, than perhaps we may grasp the path towards the skies in which our dreams reside. And if all else fails, the sun will come out again, and we will have the rainbow to follow.

"May the rain which binds the earth and sky, draw you closer to those you love. May the tender droplets falling clear away all uncertainty. And when indeed the thunder and lightening do worry you, remember that they frighten the evil more. And if these words fail to comfort you, then be content at least in knowing that the sun shall come out, and the rainbow will clear away all doubt."

Fall

I guess there is a reason autumn is also known as fall. All about me, things seem to be falling. Leaves leaving branches, water flowing downstream, rushing towards the open seas. Falling... how interesting a phenomenon. Somehow, the word "falling"/"fall" has become somewhat associated with negative implications. To fall seems to be a degrading thing to do: " Falling from grace", "to take a fall" . All these phrases all point towards falling as a disgrace of some sort, something bad that should be avoided. A child learns to cry each time he/she falls down, a wary father/mother constantly hovering nearby to ensure the child don't fall or to break the fall when he/she does. Ironically, given the pain of falling, most parents are willing to let their children learn how to ride a bike, drive a car and go elsewhere. Ultimately they know that falling is not necessary a bad thing.

In the society we live in today, there is a stigma tying into falling. Yet, we must ask ourselves, is falling truly that bad. Is there something inherently bad about kissing the ground occasionally on the earth we stand on, to be sucked in by the very gravity which holds us upright on this earth. Aye, it may not be natural to be lying about spread eagle, but it certainly is no strange coincidence that we fall. Looking at history, there are numerous examples of how great falls result in great victories. That without the risk of falling, the chance of succeeding is significantly reduced. Think of Babe Ruth who swing and miss almost as much as he hit, Abraham Lincoln losing numerous times, Chairman Deng Xiaoping's three falls and three rises.

Life is a cycle, consisting of falling and climbing. Like a phoenix that returns to the ashes only to be born from it, falling is sometimes a necessary process in climbing higher than we did before. Without knowing the depths in which we can sink, we can not know the extent to which we can reach up. Falling should not be a bad thing, and most often, we just have to fall through the door and see who catches you. A friend of mine whose life has been a constant source of inspiration once said to me, "it is not how hard you fall that matters, but how ready you are to climb back up that defines you".

So in this season we call as Fall, I urge you to look back and reflect the numerous times you have fallen, and how you have climb back up to achieve greater things until here you are, being the person you are.

No one can not promise you that there will not be holes and cracks in which you will trip and fall through. No one can guarantee that should you fall you will not be hurt, or be stuck for a while. Yet no matter how deep a hole, how hard a fall, someone close by must have fallen through it too, and I am certain that there is always a friend somewhere ready to jump in and climb back out with you.