I was in a wide, gently sloping and masterfully sculpted valley of carpeted green. Wildflowers of every variety, every color, so incredibly beautiful, coated the landscape around me. There was a gentle, warm breeze. Sunlight came and went with thick, comforting, cottony-grey clouds hanging low in the sky.
Other people were around, taking it easy, camping out in this valley. There were a lot of people, some who were Bahá’ís, and many did not know each other. The atmosphere was festive, like a fairgrounds, with a few vendors selling various items or food. One vendor was selling huge lawn umbrellas in rainbow colors.
The winds started to pick up, and gusts became gales. A tornado was coming.
I went to the umbrella vendor and bought one. Opening it with the direction of the wind, I was instantly plucked off the ground and rode the gale, soaring into the air. The thrill took my breath away, as I tried to get my bearings and navigate without going too high. I managed to find a way to coast along just 20 or 30 feet off the ground.
From above, riding the wind, the rolling hills of the valley were gently dotted with so many kinds of gorgeous flowers. One type was six or seven feet tall. The flower itself was the size of a large serving dish, with four huge floppy petals and a bright dot of pollen and stamens in the middle. The grass was really long too, maybe three feet high. The flowers were maroon, yellow, orange, dark blue, light blue, purple, and all varieties of those colors, clustered together by color in some places. I thought, what a shame that these will all blow away and be dead when the tornado comes. It made the sight all the more precious and amazing, knowing it was short-lived.
The skies turned dark and stormy, and the clouds hunkered lower, menacing above us. I could see clouds mounting and swirling in the distance. The wind was so strong, and so consistently fierce, that I grew scared that I wouldn’t be able to come down.
Others below me seemed ignorant to what was on its way. I rode the wind with this knowledge, taking advantage of the current moment, yet aware of the disaster to come. My baby daughter was somewhere down on the grass, with others. I worried that I wouldn’t land in time to get away safely. But I also thoroughly savored the loftiness and the escape of this marvelous ride.
I maneuvered myself down to the ground, using the umbrella by carefully steering it against the wind. I came down into the little fairground village among the vendors there. It was bustling with activity as people began to sense an approaching storm. The wind began to disrupt the vendors; clothing and items flew about. There was a mild panic. I couldn’t find my baby and didn’t know who had her. I looked down and saw that I was dressed like a man, in a suit and tie.