This afternoon I was lounging on the couch with my cat, simply enjoying a cup of earl grey and writing an email, when it started to pour. And then hail. And then pour some more. And let me tell you, it sounded absolutely... wonderful.
Being an Oregonian, where it rains pretty much nine months out of the year (if not more...), I hear a constant whine in regards to the rain. And don't get me wrong, I loooooong for those hot summer days where the sun seeps into my skin and spikes my happiness tenfold. But, I do also love the Oregon rain. Hitting the gutters, splashing off the sidewalks, slipping down the leaves of bushes. Cascading this way and that. Leaving tiny droplets on the windows that slide ever so slowly to a rest. It's all perfectly soothing.
And I love what leads up to a downpour. Watching heavy, dark and impending clouds roll in, their magnitude overwhelming. The anticipation of what is to come ringing in my chest. Waiting to feel that first droplet on my skin. (Not to mention having the opportunity to wear cute polka-dot rainboots and go puddle-stomping.)
Maybe we Oregonians are tired of the rain because of how mundane and ordinary it seems. Rain today, rain tomorrow, rain for the weekend. It gets a little boring, if not a little overwhelming or discouraging.
And yet, I can't help remember that what is ordinary can actually be extraordinary. Just think of the rich earth. The soil becoming fresh with energy and springing to life by the pure simplicity of saturation. The vegetation, previously hungry with thirst, now rejoicing with gratitude. And maybe the angry wrath exploding from the black clouds is actually powerful joy bursting at the seams to replenish and refresh the community.
Makes you view the rain in a whole new light, right? Not to mention all of the places around the world suffering from drought, unable to cultivate the land and being forced to travel miles and miles for a drop of water...
Appreciate the rain. Find light in the ordinary. Look at the mundane in a whole new way. That's all I'm saying.
And on a side note, whenever it rains, I always remember a song my mom used to sing to us when we were little. Well, maybe not quite a song, but more of a little rhyming tune she came up with:
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter go the little raindrops,
tiny little raindrops falling from the sky.
Tiny little raindrops playing on the window,
tiny little raindrops just for you and I.
♥
7 comments:
i love the smell of the rain in the country. although i'm a bit (much) meteopath, therefore gray sky tend to give me no energy at all; but i do like the hail, especially now that i don't have any flowers or bushes to worry about ;). i was lucky enough once i've seen a triple rainbow, no camera on hand, of course!!
that's so sweet. I love your descriptions of the rain and your appreciation for it. I too, long for the sun and warmer temperatures in Oregon, but I must remember to appreciate our rain!
Wonderful post! We share the same Wet Coast weather with you here in British Columbia... refreshes the soul though.. here from the Fibro
Love every word you wrote..it felt so beautiful reading your post. Here in Delhi we are eagerly waiting for monsoon to strike us because the sun is just too hot for us. Let's strike a deal...I'll send the sunshine ur way and u send me some rain;P..haha:D
visiting from the Fibro :) Aakriti
http://aakritimalik.blogspot.com/2010/10/poem-for-every-occasion.html
That picture of the pig in the gumboots cracked me up! I love the rain too, but we've had just a little bit too much of it lately!
Thanks for Rewinding at the Fibro.
Dropping in from Rewind to say hello.
I appreciate rain as you do, but rarely get much in Phoenix, AZ.
Love the pic of the pig in red boots.
Mila from http://hereundertherainbow.blogspot.com/
There's nothing in the whole world like that fresh rain smell. I live in England, so I may be even more familiar with rain than you :)
Just popped over from the weekend rewind.
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