(Originally Written on November 2019)

The days had been sunny for a few weeks on our natural farm. The sun greeted us early in the morning. It woke us, the birds, grasshoppers, and dragonflies. The orange-yellow tropical rays hinted to the crickets and frogs that they could stop ringing their bells for a while and resume at nighttime again. I looked up and saw the coconut leaves sway as the birds hopped around it. A slightly warm but fresh wind passed through my cheeks.

Illustration by Isobelle Villablanca.

The soil moistened with morning dew, but there was hard clay and dust when the sunlight hit, which the ants took advantage of because transportation is more accessible when the soil is not muddy.

The carabaos started to eat grass; mango trees dropped dead leaves and changed their color from dark green to light. The river shyly hummed in the background.

Some shiny blue metallic-colored bugs walked in the edges of the window. The spider stiffened before eating a fly; the salamanders walked up and down the ceiling. Centipedes curled on walls, and the sky moved like a grand orchestra.

The land was alive. All of these happened at once, and energies collided and divided from one another. Sometimes a butterfly hopped on your feet. If the birds shied away from you, the ants charged on you.

There is no such thing as stagnancy here, but only the permanent rhythm of symbiosis. Admittedly, I have happily accepted that this natural farm we have is wonderful because I live tightly with species that I don’t fully understand yet, but I’m coming to know. It is true; you are not alone.

“There is no such thing as stagnancy here, but only the permanent rhythm of symbiosis.”

Indeed, our natural farm is not ours—It is always a shared property. So, it is easy to say that surprises and serendipity were everywhere.

Weeks passed with the sun dominating our lives and after a while, the sun became a friend that followed us around. We opened our eyes and thought of duties we needed to fulfill, of washing the dishes or planting seeds. Our work was staring at us and off we went! Everyone is busy in natural farming, but after a tiring day, something beautiful stopped us all.

It was already 5:30 in the afternoon, and the sun was setting. My husband was collecting wood chips a few meters away from me while my dog sat beside me. I was looking at the mountains when I realized grey clouds were coming to us at high speed! The violet-orange sky from the west was pulling down away from the grey clouds on the east.

Then, the wind came. You can feel that the energy shifted from all around. The dragonflies ran, the birds hid for cover, and the trees rustled. The rain lightly touched the grass as it glowed when the last bit of sunset passed through it, like a thin veil.

That wasn’t the best part yet! Along with the hue of colors of the setting sun and the rain, there was a rainbow! A long rainbow with the whole arc in front of us. It was as if everything had meshed up in the sky.

Illustration by Isobelle Villablanca.

It was a magnificent sight, and before we got wet, I held my view of that rainbow for a long time. My husband ran towards me, and my dog lay closer beside me.

I saw my husband’s face, and I felt the love around us. We knew how happy we were with our life. Nature has reminded us that we were so lucky to witness such a scene.

  Illustration by Isobelle Villablanca.

The rain didn’t stop. The air became cold and blunt, and we huddled in our tiny house with candle lights and tea (with my dog occasionally barking for attention).

Here I was, at the age of 23, and I had the best life. I had a man that is devoted and ever so in love with me. I had a dog that made me laugh every day, and I can do natural farming that reminds me of true peace and longevity.

I always tell myself that my life is complete when moments like this happen, and it is the most honest feeling I have ever had.

When was the last time you felt that you loved your life? Please share your story in the comment section and find more gratification in our life stories!