“What need I fear of thee? But yet I'll make assurance double sure, and take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live; That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, And sleep in spite of thunder”
~William Shakespeare~
~William Shakespeare~
A hundred years ago when I was a child, last night would have been unbearable. I can remember lying in my bed at night, rain pounding, lightning flashing and thunder roaring. I would pull the covers up over my head, shut my eyes as tight as I could and beg God to please let it be over. Now that I’m older and wiser, I have found a certain calm in that which used to terrify me. It was sort of like the beginning of a cheesy mystery story that always seems to start out with “it was a dark and stormy night” – and yes, last night it was.
It’s funny how we change as we grow up and continue to change as we get older. Lying in bed last night, rain falling as if it had weights attached and the thunder making its presence known every few minutes was more like listening to a sweet lullaby. I almost didn’t want to go to sleep but I lost that battle. Soundly.
I don’t know when – or why – I stopped being terrified during thunderstorms. Maybe it’s when I quit believing in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, who knows? I do know that I’m glad when there’s a thunderstorm during the night. As much as I’ve complained lately about how “this gettin’ old stuff sucks” maybe I’ve found something good that comes with aging – or maybe it’s not aging as much as it is maturing. Now wouldn’t that be a kick in the head if I’ve finally matured after all these years!
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