Rain

It was raining this morning as I sat on my back porch sipping coffee and perusing the newspaper.  It was a steady but not heavy rainfall, backed up by a sky dark with clouds, promising an extended shower.  I stayed out there as long as I could but eventually I had to leave for work.  I wish I could have lingered there longer.

I love rain.  It pleases so many of my senses.  This morning there was little wind and the rain was falling straight down.  Looking out from the porch I could sense the motion of the raindrops, as if the normally empty spaces of my yard had suddenly come alive.  I also enjoy those times when I happen to be outside when a rainstorm begins.  I love watching the first droplets explode on dusty and dry patches of the ground.  I took a deep breath as I sat outside and enjoyed the wonderful smell of wet grass.  My lawn was overdue for a good washing.  I am glad to see Mother Nature finally got around to it.

By the time I arrived at work, the rain had intensified.  I did not run from my car to the door.  I walked my normal pace.  I got wet but it felt so good.  I'm just going to be sitting in a cube, working mostly alone.  I don't mind if I'm damp.  As I sit, I can hear the rain pelting against the window like an impatient child wanting my attention, begging me to come out and play.  I try to focus on what I'm doing but I am aware of its presence and it soothes me.

I suppose part of the reason I love rain so much might be due to my growing up on a farm.  Farmers depend on the rain and the weather in general.  In a supreme act of faith, they stake their livelihoods on something they have no control over - not just once, but year after year.  Usually the weather cooperates, but not always.  It is that uncertainty that makes each rainfall all the more appreciated.  As a child, I don't think I understood the significance of a rain shower and what it meant for the crops.  I celebrated the rain because it meant Dad couldn't get out in the fields.  A rainy day kept him nearby, busying himself around the farm yard, where he was easy to find.  And if it was really wet, there was a chance my siblings and I could convince our parents that the day might be better spent shopping - maybe even in the big city, that's right, Sioux Falls.

So many reasons to love the rain.