Denver Rain – a Time for Wonder
Rain is an infrequent event in Denver. So Saturday, when it began, I ran outside to breathe in that earthy fresh smell of new rain. It happens just at the beginning of a storm. There’s a name for that scent. It’s petrichor.
Plants and bacteria living in the ground work together to create the unique smell of petrichor. Soil bacteria breaking down dead plants and live plants releasing oils both contribute to the chemicals involved. But it’s the rain hitting the ground that makes it possible for us to detect the scent. Rain drops absorb some of the chemicals as they hit the ground and then disperse them into the air as they splatter. Just a few drops had fallen on Saturday and there was the unmistakable fragrance. I love that smell, which lasts for just a short time and then dissipates.
Small Wonders
I’m also a bit of an information junkie. And so I was happy to find so much information on petrichor on line. It’s fun to know how and why things work. Science can help us understand, but understanding doesn’t make it any less magical. I don’t ever want to be so lost in the scientific information about a thing that I don’t notice the magic. We can have both.
Think about it. Nerve endings in my nose, organisms in the soil, and water falling from the sky, all conspire to make the smell of new rain possible. It’s all interconnected. And that’s the part I want to hold on to. The simplest of experiences, when we take the time to focus and tune into them, provide a constant opportunity to marvel. Operating from that place allows us to exist in a place of wonder. Wonder is the focus word this week.
Wisdom Begins in Wonder, Socrates
For more information on Mindfulness Focus Words click here
More Information on Petrichor:
Good Rain Smells from Livescience.com
What is the Smell of Rain from Earthsky.org
