A Big Drop Day

Today is what I call a “Big Drop Day.” As I awoke this morning, big drops of rain hit the windowpane—a nice respite from the recent all-too-demanding heat pummeling the east coast.

One of my favorite newsletters, Plants & Planets (published by astrologist Rosie Finn—email her at rfinn@w-link.net for a subscription) says that in addition to being a rainy day here in our part of the world, the moon is also void all day, and Mercury is Retrograde.

Being a complete astrology novice, these two facts would mean nothing to me if it weren’t for Rosie’s interpretation. Mark today on your calendar, she says. It’s a do-nothing day. Nature has declared it a day to rest, replenish and fill up.

I thought of Rosie’s interpretation as I ran an errand this morning, running late. I was running late because we woke up late this morning (rainy days have a way of helping make that happen). In spite of the fact that the flow of life was saying, “Slow down, slow down!” my mind was going—albeit a bit slower than usual—at least half-a-mile a minute.

‘Must get there quick,” my mind chattered. “Must stay on schedule!”

“What schedule?” the world seemed to answer back. “Drop, drop, drip, drip.”

The car in front of me drove a slow 30 m.p.h. in a 50 m.p.h. zone, then decided to stop just as the light was turning from green to yellow. (“Who does that?” my mind chattered.)

I changed course to escape my fellow traveler’s pokey ways. Thanks to a gaggle of geese who chose just that moment to cross the road, however (“All together now!” their honks seem to say) my shortcut quickly became the Long Way Home.

“Late, late, late,” chattered my brain. I could almost hear the “Tsk, tsk, tsk” echoing behind the words.

“Going just the speed you should,” another voice whispered, in perfect synch with the Big Drops splashing on my windshield.

As I pulled up to the house, I was momentarily appalled to see that the person I was to meet there had not yet showed up. I was 10 minutes late—had Mercury Retrograde caused our signals to get irreparably crossed?

Just then, before my mind could chime it with its own ideas, my appointment pulled up behind me—late as well, or perhaps, as Nature would say, “Right on time.”

It’s days like this that remind me that something much greater knows exactly what the schedule is. When we let go of our other ideas, we discover everything has been happening exactly right all along.