rain shadows

I want to share a beautiful moment that could not be captured in photos today.It is a secret mission of mine to find and make moments that really connect the kids to the natural world. Today the moment found us. Despite the menacing rain clouds, a group of kids and I went up to the park after lunch. We were infected with the energy and anticipation of an oncoming rainstorm. The air was warm and thick and wafted in delicious scents from the taco truck down the street.As the rain began to fall, Coke noticed the sound it made as it hit the ground. We all took a moment to just listen. Kaia noticed how it was staining the pavement with dark dots. And here was the magical moment: five kids lay down on the pavement to make rain shadows.If you are patient enough to lay in the rain and feel the water drops fall on your face, when you stand up you can see the light, dry outline of where you were against the dark wet pavement of where the rain fell. As we lay in the rain, we noticed different things about how the rain looked, felt, smelled and even tasted. The most important part of building a relationship with the natural world is to open your senses; the rest just follows. And when we stood up, the kids were delighted to see their silhouettes slowly fill with rain drops.In the Brightworks space our senses are often assaulted. The vaulted ceiling amplifies sound and smells can become overpowering. But these moments of patience allow us to quietly and joyfully connect with the world through our senses - even in a downpour.