It’s not always bad news…
Reason #14- Rain
As long as I can remember, I’ve loved the rain. Contrary to popular belief, it does rain in Southern California, but as a kid it was even better when it poured. I could hardly wait until I could go outside and get soaking wet. Springtime brought the rain back then, and the old adage seemed to be true: April showers bring May flowers.
There are many more reasons I love the rain now. Having lived through severe droughts, rain still brings an almost automatic reflex of relief. It is the one weather event that happens worldwide, so it can help you feel connected to the earth no matter where you are, much like seeing the moon or stars can do for you at night. It represents sustaining life in so many ways.
Living beings require water to live, even more than food, and rain is how we get all of our fresh water. A shower can give a sense of cleansing, of washing away the grime of life, of washing away our sins. After a good rain, our mood is almost always lifted. There is a reason for the popularity of Dancing in the Rain. During a drenching rain storm, most of us are forced to stay indoors, giving us an excuse to snuggle up with our mate or kids in front of a fire, drink hot chocolate, make some popcorn and watch a new or a favorite movie. Stormy nights remind us of the power and awe of nature, of the good and bad of it, and this is exaggerated when roaring thunder shakes the house.
Rain pours through the atmosphere, cooling and humidifying hot air, warming ambient cold air in winter months, and clings to specks of pollution to literally condition the air around us. It moisturizes your skin and cleanses plant leaves. It adds moisture to farms’ soil, helps leach salts down beyond the root zone and the rivers it creates are dammed for hydroelectric power.
But the thing I like most about the rain is its sound. If you’ve never fallen to sleep to the soothing pitter-patter of rain on the roof above you, you’ve really missed out. Of course, a hard rain or hail pounding on a metal roof can be deafening but awe-inspiring.
Ever notice how quickly the scenery greens up after a summer rain? Is there anything more precious than seeing a group of school-aged children in rain coats and boots stomping in puddles? Every see a child’s face the first time you tell them that it’s raining cats and dogs? Interestingly, the source of that phrase is unknown. It might have its roots in Norse mythology, medieval superstitions, the obsolete word catadupe (waterfall), or dead animals in the streets of Britain being picked up by storm waters. We do know that Richard Brome, an English playwright, wrote in his 1652 comedy, City Witt, “It shall rain dogs and polecats.” However, a polecat back then was more related to a weasel than a cat.
What I miss most about living in Kansas are the summer storms. Though often severe, we haven’t experienced anything even close to it since we moved away [except occasionally in Texas]. It always reminded me that without rain, there is no rainbow.
================
My closing quote for this topic is from American poet Langston Hughes, who wrote, “Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.“
You can find the complete collection here:
https://www.amazon.com/50-Reasons-Happy-Always-News-ebook/dp/B091B72L5X
Trappings of the Years 