Last week the skies in Memphis turned grey and that way they stubbornly remained refusing to allow any sunlight at all for an endless six days. Drowning downpours of rain alternated with silent spells where the air hung in choking thick waves of humidity. The ground was riddled with puddles, excess water that couldn’t be absorbed.

Each day felt off kilter even for a rain lover like myself. Not enough steady rain, too much wet air and unyielding grey. And then the news started to trickle in: depression, lost jobs, and one too many car crashes. Every person I talked to or social network I glanced at had some tail of woe. Families suffered. The good died too young. Personal battles were lost (and some won).

{R.I.P. David King.}

At moments like these, the pain all around feels as unceasing as the rain and I become overcome by helplessness. In the end, I remember that all I can do is pray and love and support my friends and family.

This afternoon the sun peaked out from one small gap in the mass of clouds. Suddenly, the gap expanded and more and more sunlight spilled through. By the time I walked to the library, I was able to slip my sunglasses over my eyes.

Neither the light nor the dark can last forever.

[Photos mine-Paris 12/08; Memphis 04/08]