Glub-glub....gasp....paddle-paddle.....gasp....glub. Greetings from America’s newest, and largest lake, the state of New Hampshire. At least it certainly feels that way. After a week of rain, the sun finally decided to make an appearance once again in our part of the world yesterday. Over 700 roads in N.H. have either been damaged or destroyed, and many people have lost their vehicles, their possessions, and their living space. Some waterways have also decided to change their paths, and find new ways which to flow. I guess some people now have waterfront property that they didn’t have before!

On my way to work during the worst of it, I was fortunate to only have to make one detour. The main intersection where I enter the interstate highway was completely under water for several days. Water could also be seen cascading down the hills next to the highway during my hour long commute. One of the wood mills that I pass during my commute has a dock out on the water. Well......did. I drove by Monday, and I couldn’t see it at all. One of the major rivers through the state, the Merrimack River, was more than 9 feet above flood level. While we could certainly use the rain due to the mild winter this past year, this wasn’t quite the way that we might have liked to have received it.

Life has seen fit to throw me a few curveballs in the past month or so, and yet I’m still not quite sure why. There is an ebb and flow to life, and when we try to fight it, it only makes things worse. It is sometimes best to merely be non-resistant, and yet at the same time, doing so is often a difficult thing to do. It is hard, to just sit back and wait, rather than try to change things at the first chance.

For the past month or so, I guess you could say that I’ve withdrawn from the world for a bit. I’ve left the phone unanswered, messages unreturned, and haven’t had the usual enthusiasm of responding to my e-mails. I’ve kept thinking week after week that I needed to write a new blog, but the energy and enthusiasm just weren’t there. Behavior that is very much unlike me. I can’t attribute it to my health, as I’ve been eating well, working out, and have done a fair amount of spring cleaning about the house. I guess that sometimes, silence is a necessary thing in our lives. Not so much complete silence, but silence from others, in order to regain some balance and perspective into our lives. The world can be very much in your face, when it’s trying to tell you that you need to stop, and take a break.

Even now, there is a great deal of things that I want to get done, but know well enough not to try and fight my own personal rhythms. But the world made it clear that I needed a break. On Sunday, we had a complete failure at the Data Center that I work in, due to mechanical issues outside of the Data Center. This resulted in a 16 hour work day for me, and tack on an hours commute each way as well. Not only was I extremely tired by the end of my work day, I also had to drive home through the constant rain of the weekend. Even now, I sit here with heavy eyes, and a sore throat. A clear sign that I need to slow down.

But while I have withdrawn socially, my sense of humor has not. My girlfriend’s young daughter is like a mother hen to her younger brother. And being that it was Mother’s Day this past Sunday, how could I pass up such an opportunity? *smirk* While I bought a card and flowers for my girlfriend, I also bought some bright yellow mums, and a card for her daughter. (Mums for Moms? I hear a great name for an organization! *chuckle*) However, I altered her daughter’s card, so that it read “Happy Mother Hen’s Day”. LOL I also included a note, saying that it was admirable, how well she looked after her little brother, but that it didn’t give her a free pass to torture the boy! (And she does at times) *grin* I’m told that it went over well, and that I wasn’t in trouble. *Phew!* Well, not in trouble THIS time. : )

Well, it’s time for me to go rest some more. The Clan O’Kitties have taken good care of me during my personal down time, so it’s only right that I spoil them in return. : )

So the next time that you feel the world pressing in upon you, don’t get upset, and don’t get frustrated. It may just be the worlds way of saying that you need to take some time to take care of YOU. The longer it takes for you to listen, the harder the world will bang on your door to get your attention. It is only when we become non-resistant, that the issues at hand no longer control us.

May all that is yours by Divine Right find its way into your life, under Grace, in miraculous ways.