The town had been going through a long, dry and warm spell. Grass had turned yellow, the rivers were very low, and the air felt dry, still and tired. And now, the talk of the town was about drought, and about how badly the land needed some rain.
Twelve-year-old Sam was especially worried. He didn’t like the way the plants looked, or how the cracks in the fields kept getting wider. By now it had been 33 days since it last rained. Sam already knew this, since he tracked each dry day carefully in his notebook. He'd draw a little sun symbol for every one.
One afternoon, Sam walked with Jordan in a local park, a neighbour and family friend, their feet crunching underneath the parched grass. They often walked together, which helped Sam feel calm.
Jordan: The weather forecast say there’ll be rain by Friday.
Sam: But rain is bad, isn’t it? It seems to make everything wet and messy.
Jordan: That’s one way you can look at it. But rain is also very important, since it helps the trees, plants, crops, and flowers grow. Without it, nothing can grow.
Sam: I don’t know. Some clouds can just look grey and sad.
Jordan: Have you ever heard the saying, “Every cloud has a silver lining”?
Sam: Yes, I’ve heard it, but I find it hard to understand what it means.
Jordan: It means that even when something looks bad, like a dark cloud, there can be something good hiding inside. Like the rain we need.
Later that week, the clouds finally came. The sky turned grey, and rain began to fall steadily on the thirsty grounds. Sam and Jordan stood on the porch, listening to the rhythm of the drops and smelling the refreshing scent in the air. The fields drank it in, and the flowers started to lift their heads.
Sam: It’s not as bad as I thought.
Jordan: Look, see that bright edge on the cloud?
Sam: Ah, the silver lining? I guess the rain really did help.
Jordan: Exactly, you've got it.
Welcome to Challenge 3 of my "Guess the Tree" challenge! Challenge Details: The featured tree this weekend. Your task: Can you guess the type of tree from the photo of the leaves below? Reveal date: Check back next Saturday (4th November 2023) for the answer! Why Trees Matter: As someone on the autism spectrum with […]
In this latest episode of my podcast, The Quiet Currents, I reflect on my own experience of the subtle signs of my autism. My diagnostician likened my case to being “in the Pacific, but within safe reach of the shore.” It was different enough to notice, but not disruptive enough to draw concern. As a […]
If you’re a parent, having a child on the autism spectrum must be testing enough. I’ve never been a parent myself, nor have I ever been in a teaching capacity. I will be talking about my experiences in this post. There may be another thing causing you worry, your child’s education. You may be wondering […]
