Clouds. I love clouds. I can just sit and watch them float and morph for long periods of time. They are so beautiful and alive. I may be prejudiced but I believe the most beautiful clouds on the planet are to be found in Montana.
The photograph here is a reflection of clouds on a lake. I love the colors. And, believe it or not, the colors in the picture are unedited, right from the camera. It's hard to see but there is a little duck swimming in the tree tops at the bottom. These are Oregon clouds reflecting on Cleawox Lake.
My mother used to tell me “every cloud has a silver lining”. When I was younger I thought every cloud was a cloud, a bummer and a mean, personal attack on moi. I thought my mother was silly to say such a thing.
Now that I’m older I have seen the wisdom. Life has a way of beating up on all of us every now and again. There is nothing personal about it. We all get our turn in the barrel, as the saying goes. Maybe these times are just a way for the universe to get our attention?
What I do know is my mother was absolutely right! Every cloud does have a silver lining. But, you have to look for it because it isn’t always apparent and sometimes it takes awhile to find. Reflecting on past disappointments I can see the linings more clearly now. I can see that things I had been so disappointed about at the time had actually happened for the best. I can see some good in even tragic events.
These days I always look for the silver lining. I’m a much happier person for it. And yes, sometimes, I have a little bit of a hard time finding it. Often, when that happens, I go sit and watch clouds. Clouds are like live theater. There can be so many interesting characters parading across that celestial stage. I can lose myself in the production. What one sees is only limited by one’s own imagination. Many times that lining still eludes me but I feel so much more at peace and refreshed for having spent that time with clouds.
©Kinsey Barnard
