Driving along as the storm gathered I appreciated the dark clouds, the deepening greens, and the atmosphere of melancholy. Then the rain came down so fast and so hard that cars slowed, blinkers flashed, and we could barely see. I held the steering wheel tightly, chanted Krishna’s name, and eventually pulled off to the side of the road. My heart was thumping. 

There are times in our lives when the cloudburst lets loose and we are thrown into intense situations. A terminal illness with an operation that doesn’t work is one such storm. Emotions are fierce and there is no visibility, no answer, and no clear direction. 

At those times it helps to slow down and stay at the side of the road. Let the feelings rain down in all their intensity, your own pain and that of others, and hold onto that steering wheel of Krishna with both hands. Storms do end, feelings subside, and things become clearer. Eventually the sun comes out–the circumstances may not change, but our reaction to them does. 

As we hold on Krishna we in turn can hold others and offer support. The nature of this world is suffering. We can’t avoid it. Let’s move through it with grace, patience, and unabashed holding on. It is there we will find the answers.