Ethan opened his eyes to a brand new day,
The wind blowing him this way, blowing him that way.
Floating in a cloud with his brothers and sisters,
Over the mountains and over the rivers,
Drifting out over the sea,
Ethan thought “This is where I should be.”

Somewhere over the big blue ocean,
He felt a change had been set in motion.
Suddenly his brother started to shout,
Telling the cloud what the change was about.
“Soon we will be starting our trip.
Water for the ground starts with a drip!”

Ethan’s brother was in a hurry,
But leaving the cloud filled Ethan with worry.
“I know you’re scared, in your eyes I see it,
But on the ground is where we’re needed.”
First there were things Ethan wanted to know.
He asked, “What will I be, where will I go?”

“Whether a drop of rain or a flake of snow,
You’ll be what you’ll be and you’ll know when you know.
With help from Father Sun and Mother Moon,
You’ll get where you’re going and you’ll get there soon.
Whether you’re high in the mountains or out in the sea,
When you look around, you’ll see family!”

…

The sky grew dark and the wind blew bold.
Ethan was nervous, he felt so cold!
Before he knew it he started to freeze.
Ice tickled his nose and he let out a sneeze.
The moon shined above the cloud and it shined below.
“Oh my gosh, I think I’ll be snow!”

A second sneeze sent Ethan into the sky.
Through the dark and the cold he started to fly.
It felt like falling without the cloud to hold him,
And he tried to remember what his brother had told him,
“I’ll get where I’m going I’ll get where I’m going…
But where that is there’s no way of knowing!”

His sister heard him and wanted to help.
She drifted to him and let out a yelp.
“Yes, Ethan, you’re right, there’s no way of knowing.
But right now we’re not falling, we’re floating, we’re snowing!
Don’t be scared, enjoy the ride!
Give the wind a hug and glide baby glide!”

Ethan took a deep breath and let out a sigh.
He gazed at the stars and the bright night sky.
What was scary before was now quiet and calm.
He glanced at the moon, smiling up at his mom.
The pale moon-light filled Ethan with ease.
He enjoyed the silence and went along with the breeze.

…

After some rest and some rays from old Father Sun,
Ethan woke up excited and ready for fun!
Dancing in the wind he looked all around,
At his brothers and sisters and down at the ground.
Covered with snow and a whiteness so bright,
He saw where he was going, where he was headed all night.

He was drifting to the mountains and a clear blue lake,
With reflections so pretty they almost looked fake.
A tall ridge surrounded the lake and its trees,
Most covered with needles, some missing their leaves.
He landed in the lake, close to its river.
The water was cold, he melted with a shiver.

Looking around he saw the reflections were real.
He could see the tall Trees, the warm sun he could feel.
Ethan looked up past the ridge and spotted his cloud.
“So far I have come!” He shouted out loud.
“Is this where I’ll be? Is my trip done?”
His sister replied, “The fun’s just begun!”

“First we have to fill up the lake,
Making the sips and the gulps that the animals take.
Then we’ll move on to the river and flow,
Toward the plants and the trees that need water to grow.
Along the riverbanks our water meets land,
Rubbing rocks to create little pebbles and sand.”

In his stomach, Ethan felt a small knot.
What if he lost his sister, if the way home he forgot?
“Sounds like fun,” he said with fear in his voice.
“Don’t waste time being nervous, Ethan, we have no choice!”

And just like that he was drawn to the river,
Towards a new adventure and away from his sister.
“But what if I want a choice, what if I want to stay?”
Calmly, she replied, “You’re already on your way.
And as you go, don’t waste energy on fear,
Because in our hearts, family’s always near.”

…

Losing sight of his sister, he looked down-stream,
Feeling more and more courage as he picked up steam.
With butterflies in his belly and a laugh in his heart,
Ethan couldn’t believe he was scared at the start.
Rushing around rocks, passing bushes and trees,
Ethan flowed along with the birds and buzzed with the bees.

Off a waterfall he jumped into a pool so deep,
Where the sounds from the surface had all gone to sleep.
From the bottom he watched the sun dance with the trees,
Across a blue sky, the golds flickered with greens.
As he flowed on, a deep calm settled in,
“I’ll bring this feeling with me,” he said with a grin.

Slowly the sun started to set,
Filling the sky with deep purples and reds.
Ethan said good night to the sun and watched the moon rising,
Revealing The stars that light had been hiding.
He watched as the sky got darker and smiled,
Floating while the river bubbled for miles.

…

He woke up with the ocean in sight,
The rising sun showering it with light.
Water straight ahead and water to the sides,
Rolling in with the waves and out with the tides.
From up on a bluff, Ethan saw other rivers and falls
And the wide open ocean saying, “Come one, come all.”

As he got closer and the sun got higher,
A warmth in Ethan burned like a fire.
A sky that was filled with red and pink hues
Turned into the softest and brightest of blues.
And out in the distance the sky met the sea,
Each joining the other where together they’d be.

Up in the sky the sun shined so bright,
And down on the ocean the water danced with the light.
A million flashes welcoming the river,
And the water and sand that it would deliver.
Flowing down a chute and around a bend,
Ethan felt his journey nearing its end.

…

With one last rush, his river pushed into the sea,
And suddenly Ethan was where he would be.
He started to think about his father and mother,
Remembered the lessons of his sister and brother.
Looking up, out, back and around,
Ethan knew exactly what he had found.

He was one tiny raindrop but as big as the sea.
He was part of the rocks, the rivers and trees.
“Yes indeed, family’s always near.”
And the joy in his heart erased all the fear.
“I am part of this world and this world’s part of me,
No matter where I am going, no matter what I will be.”