Dance In The Rain

That’s when we learn how to dance in the rain…

This is one of my favourite photos, which I took back in 1995 in Iquitos, Peru, whilst I was visiting a tribe in the Amazon.

I was sheltering under the trees from a torrential downpour when I heard the sound of children’s laughter.

Turning, I saw three street children dancing in the rain. They had nothing except the clothes they wore, but in that moment they were experiencing pure joy.

Afterwards, they went back to begging for food from the customers of a nearby bar.

One of them had a birthmark that covered half his face – he reminded me of the character Mascarita in the book The Storyteller by Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa, which is set in the Amazon.

Mascarita develops a deep connection to the Machiguenga Indians and travels amongst the tribes as a storyteller, or “hablador.”

Reading this book at University and writing my dissertation on Vargas Llosa was the catalyst for me going to Peru, volunteering at an orphanage and working as a journalist, campaigning on behalf of the street children and victims of domestic violence, as well as starting on my shamanic path.

It was also one of the many flames that inspired my own passion for storytelling.

Looking back over our lives, it is so comforting to see how Spirit weaves the threads of experience to create our Soul’s journey in each lifetime.

It is my trust in this all-guiding, all-present divine energy in my life that gives me the strength to keep dancing even within the darkest of storms.

Remembering the street children in this photo, especially Mascarita, I try to find the joy and gratitude in every moment, regardless of how little or how much I may feel I have in my life.

And that’s when I also learn how to dance in the rain.

Blessed Be