(WARNING: Extreme sappiness ahead…)
Jodi and I just celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary, and we’re more in love than ever! But no matter how much our love grows and deepens, our wedding day will always be one of the most special days of our lives.
We spent over a year planning it, making sure that every detail represented us and our love–from the setting (a mountaintop outside of our house in Jemez Pueblo, NM) to our wedding “cake” (actually a pie, which we prefer) and of course the song playing while we walked down the aisle: “Never Saw Blue Like That” by Shawn Colvin.
Besides being a beautiful song musically, the lyrics fit perfectly: describing the feeling of falling in love and how it makes the whole world come alive and shine more brightly, and how it feels like coming home–exactly how I feel about Jodi!
While I love all of the song’s lyrics, I think my favorite lines are:
“And even now, I’m so amazed
It’s like a dream, it’s like a rainbow,
It’s like the rain.”
I especially love the words, “It’s like the rain.”
Pretty much everyone recognizes that dreams and rainbows are special–magical, fleeting, elusive flashes of beauty. But so often we take for granted the everyday miracles, such as rain.
But if you take even a moment to contemplate this amazing phenomenon, you’ll see that it’s nothing short of miraculous: Rain falls from the sky, nurturing plants and all living things, providing drinking water that we require (since most of our body is water)–and then it becomes invisible, gets cleansed, and floats back into the sky where it forms beautiful clouds. And then the cycle begins again.
Talk about a mind-boggling miracle!
Yet, perhaps because it’s an everyday “mundane” occurance, we often fail to see the magic in something as common as rain.
How often do you take time to appreciate everyday miracles in your life?
Aside from rain, what are other everyday miracles in your life?
- Other natural phenomena, such as the rising and setting of the sun.
- The miracle of your body–with all of its complex physical functions, intellectual capacity, and emotional sensitivity.
- Love and friendship.
- Life itself.
Just because these (and so many other everyday miracles) aren’t rare doesn’t make them any less valuable, precious, and worthy of appreciation.
Rainbows and Rain
Yes, it’s very nice to have “rainbows”–those special moments of rare, fleeting beauty: weddings, anniversaries, major life accomplishments, and other significant moments of celebration.
But what makes up most of life–and makes it so special–is the “rain,” the everyday miracles: a hug, a conversation that helps you feel understood and supported, a sunset, the very act of breathing in and out, giving love and feeling loved in return.
I know that, thanks to the wonderful woman who shares my life, I will never stop appreciating these everyday miracles…every day.
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What are some of your favorite everyday miracles? How do you appreciate them? Maybe your comment will help others to appreciate the everyday miracles in their lives as well!
P.S. Don’t we have a beautiful flower girl (our “dog-ter” Xena)?
Not sappy at all. Just beautiful, Dan. Love it. You’re a lovely couple! Happy Anniversary! I enjoy my everyday miracles too!
Thank you, Vidya. I just read Louise’s comment about the “everyday miracle” of being able to connect with people all over the world–and I definitely appreciate being able to connect with you across the globe, sharing thoughts, words, ideas, and heartfelt emotions. What a blessing! Thanks for sending your kind words & good wishes!
Thank you for being my everyday miracle every single day. I love you so much! …
You are the biggest miracle of my life! I love you, too–rainbows and rain, anniversaries and every day, forever…
One of my everyday miracles is being able to connect with people all over the world who help to lift me up and restore my faith in human nature. Long live true love! Who knows, one day I may even find it for myself! Bless you.
Yes, Louise, connecting with people all over the world is an incredible miracle! Those of us who grew up pre-internet can definitely appreciate how miraculous this new technology is–and be grateful for the connections it facilitates with people such as yourself! Thank you for reaching out and lifting ME up with your kind words!
I think that you’re taking a great first step toward finding love–by embodying it and sharing it with others! Blessings to you, too.
Dan, what a beautiful piece! Thoroughly grateful for your sappiness! And, I had no idea that “Never Saw Blue Like That” was your wedding song – love, love, love (did I say love?) that song, and whenever I was on the brink of falling in love, I’d think of that song! And to your point about rain and rainbows, rainbows appear *after* there has been rain. So, rain is definitely one of the miracles of this life, this universe. I believe every day of my life is a miracle, not just because it sounds good. I really do believe it! Thank you for sharing your heart here, Dan! The world needs more examples of opening up our hearts.
Thank you so much, Alice–glad there are others out there as sappy as Jodi and me! Yes, it’s ALL one big miracle, whether we see it as such or not! Thanks for sharing your open, loving heart with all of us as well!
I know exactly what you mean about the rain!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w60k2rRvYZs