““The rain doesn’t discriminate against the plants, flowers, nor trees, it simply rains. The water doesn’t know the difference between those plants who appreciate it versus those who can’t handle it- if it did, it might save its water for those that can.””

She didn’t ask for anything. She was simply herself. From the day she met them to the day they stopped being who they pretended to be in the beginning. Some were pretending and some were just hopeful. Hopeful they could continue to be who it is she saw them as. She didn’t ask for anything, she was just hopeful as well.

She was full of love. So much so it was overflowing. When it rains it waters plants, flowers, trees. And sometimes when it rains, there are certain plants, flowers, and trees that can’t handle it. Some of them don’t know what to do with the water. Whether it be because they haven’t experienced that much rain in their lifetime or because they are just the type that simply doesn’t know how to accept this water. There is no where for it to go and so it drowns them.

The rain doesn’t discriminate against the plants, flowers, nor trees, it simply rains. The water doesn’t know the difference between those plants who appreciate it versus those who can’t handle it- if it did, it might save its water for those that can. And so the rain waters all that it sees. Some survive and some don’t.

These plants, flowers, and trees play a vital role in returning water to the atmosphere- “transpiration” it’s called. Plants absorb the water through their roots and release it back in tiny portions to the sky. It evaporates and forms those clouds that eventually rain down on them.

This water cycle is essential for the health of the ecosystem. All these plants and flowers and trees wouldn’t be able to grow if they didn’t give back at least a small portion of what was given to them. The rain doesn’t ask for anything in return, it’s just hopeful.

When the plants and the flowers and the trees don’t give back, there is nothing returned to the sky. There are no clouds to form and no water to be given. It’s hard to make something from nothing.

So sometimes the sky is blue, and the sun shines bright, and there is no rain. “What a beautiful day” they say, “for there is no rain!” Some of the plants and the flowers and the trees rejoice that nothing is pouring down reminding them they have to give back. They are quite happy in their day of sunshine standing tall and enjoying the warmth to themselves.

Eventually they get too warm, they stand too tall, and they run out of water. Soon enough, they wish for it. Nothing can survive without it, not even the succulents. Even cacti can only store water in their stems for so long before needing more.

No plant, flower, nor tree could ever return back to the clouds all the rain given to them, but how lucky the clouds when it receives just a little. How lucky the plants, how lucky the flowers, how lucky the trees, how lucky the clouds.

The rain saw so many plants and flowers and trees that needed watering. It gave and gave, and did so with no expectation of any water in return.

The rain doesn’t discriminate against the plants, the flowers, nor the trees, it simply rains. The water doesn’t know the difference between those plants who appreciate it versus those who can’t handle it- if it did, it might save its water for those that can. And so the rain waters all that it sees. Some survive and some don’t.

Rain is not inconsistent. You might think it is because some days its drizzles and some days it pours, but there is a difference between inconsistency and precipitation.

Some days there is more rain than others, that is expected. Some days there is not much water in the clouds, some days there is quite a lot. Whether it’s a drizzle or a hurricane, the water is there. Different days, different amounts, but when it rains it rains.

Rain does not seek revenge. The best revenge is no revenge. No rain. When the dessert begins to get too comfortable without water, when the cacti think they can live forever with out it, they soon realize it’s impossible. The rain doesn’t punish the desert for thinking this, for what does the rain get out of that? Nothing. Rain is rain, regardless of what the cacti thinks.

Rain does not seek approval. The mere existence of it proves worthy. It has a seal of approval dated “expiration indefinite.” Rain doesn’t think to itself, “Today the cacti do not need me, I am less than.” Rain is rain, regardless of what the cacti thinks.

Rain does give from a place of expectation. Rain knows very well it might not receive the same amount of water back that it gives, and yet it rains. Rain is rain, regardless of what the cacti gives.

Rain is selfless. Rain is steady. Rain is abundant, forgiving, quietly faithful, persistent, eternal, without pride or ego, unconditional. Rain is soft and strong. Rain is a presence, not a performance.

Once upon a time, long before it became a succulent, the cactus craved water. In fact, the cactus craved water so much it didn’t just want rainwater, it wanted the ocean too. It wanted lakes, seas, rivers, even puddles.

Cacti and too much water don’t go well together. It is not a combination that has a good ending for either party involved. But the cactus’ ego was so large it didn’t care if it was bad for themselves nor if it was bad for the other. It didn’t care about taking all the bodies of water and when anything takes selfishly, it eventually comes to an end.

So one day when the cactus had its fill from the lakes, seas, rivers, and puddles, there was no water left for it to take. Everything dried up and it went days without water. Days turned into weeks and then months. Then came a year and just as the cactus was about to die, it rained.

And because the rain does not discriminate against the plants, the flowers, nor the trees, it doesn’t know the difference between those plants who appreciate it versus those who who don’t.

Once upon a time, after the cactus soaked up all the lakes, seas, rivers, and puddles, it was left with nothing. It was left broken. The cactus knew how good it felt to be watered and how bad it felt to left without it. The cactus didn’t want to feel that loss again, it hurt too much.

So the cactus made a promise to itself- to never soak up water. In return, it wouldn’t have to experience loss. The rain was confused by the logic of the cacti because that in itself was loss.

And so the rain came down and watered the dessert, but the cactus was no longer willing to accept it. And because of this, it prevented itself from ever soaking up water again.

Once upon a time, after the cactus soaked up all the lakes, seas, rivers, and puddles and was left with nothing, its ego became so large it thought it could live without water. Because it had now survived for so long without it, the cactus grew accustomed to the comfort of dehydration.

For the cactus, being thirsty was not a sign of lack, it was simply a state of being. “If I just tell myself I don’t need water, then this thirst I have will go away.”

The rain was once again confused by the logic of the cacti because it was not logic at all, just purposeful ignorance. And so the rain came down and watered the dessert, but the cactus didn’t believe it needed it anymore. The cactus believed it was strong enough to live without it.

Three times the rain tried to gift itself. The rain came down even after the cactus soaked up all its sisters. The rain came down even after the cactus refused its help. And the rain came down even when it wasn’t wanted.

Rain knows it is not always wanted. Not everything likes the rain. But rain knows that regardless of wants and likes, there is nothing on earth that doesn’t need it.

Rain has hope it will never run out. Even after the plants, the flowers, and the trees continuously deny the reciprocation of transpiration. Even after they stop returning back to the clouds what was given. Even after there is not a lot of rain left to give, the rain has hope it will never run out.

Because she believes in the giving of the plants and the flowers and the trees… even the cacti.

She believes one day, all of the water the cactus took from her and all of the water that it didn’t, will be given back. It will be given back to her and it will be given back to the cactus.

She believes one day, it will rain again, the cactus will accept it, and the amount of once upon a times will stay at just three.

Love always wins in the end. Third times a charm.

She was looking for love until she realized she compliments strangers, she smiles at babies, she stops to pet every dog she sees.

She prays when she sees an ambulance and pauses when she hears the birds.

She makes people laugh when they’re sad, and cry from happiness when they’re not.

She feels lost loved ones in rays of sunshine and sees them in the stars at night.

She gives water to the plants, the flowers, and the trees everyday.

She is love.

She is what she’s looking for.

Rain is rain and love is love.