This is the stone, drenched with rain, that points the way. – Santoka

Tonight, the rain is coming down hard. While listening to it, I realized my partial blindness wasn’t an obstacle to listening to rain. I probably couldn’t see the raindrops even if I had 20/20 vision. So I closed my eyes and practiced being completely blind while listening.

The sound of rain immediately became richer and more complex as I listened in darkness. It had a beautiful and immense diversity of voices. And though I couldn’t hear every note of every raindrop, I heard many of them. The ones falling on leaves and bushes, on roofs and concrete patios, and on grass and puddles.

Opening my eyes, I knew I would carry this intimate encounter with rain into my complete blindness. It felt like a path leading from one place to another. It was less frightening, even comforting, to know that in darkness from time to time the rain will sing and I will listen.

what a world
growing beauty
everywhere
for any excuse

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