Feel The Rain On Your Skin

photo found at deviantart.com

Yesterday was a blissful, rainy day.

First everyone around here complained that it would never stop snowing. Now they're complaining that it's raining too much. Before you know it, they'll be saying it's too hot and dry.

Some people like to wish the rain away, but I prefer to bask in it.

It's my day to write at 4P. I'd love to have you join me.

Bring On The Rain

The late Friday afternoon skies held the promise of rain with five shades of dark clouds hovering over the tops of the mountains. It was a good day for a race.

I was giddy with the anticipation of finally attending one of Coolister and ElemenoB's cross-country meets because nothing thrills me more than to see my kids thriving at the things I loved when I was their age.


Coolister's goal was to beat his most recent time on this same course - which he did by almost a full minute. I like to believe this had something to do with the maniacal screaming of his mother racing from place to place to cheer him on at the sidelines. (Humor me.)

ElemenoB's goal was to beat her personal best time by one second. She started strong, running in a tight pack with her teammates in the first stretch. By the time she came back around to where I was waiting, she had pulled ahead some. I screamed encouraging words and she smiled.


The next time I saw her, however, things were different. She was running at a slower pace than usual. I noticed that she was talking with a girl from another team and as they ran past me, she smiled again. I continued to watch her and cheer her on.

Each time ElemenoB looped past me on the course I caught snatches of her conversations with this same stranger from another school: Keep it up, you can do it. Just keep running. Don't stop now. The two of them stuck together throughout the race and as they came in for the finish the girl passed ElemenoB up and placed just ahead of her.


We checked ElemenoB's time... almost a full minute more than her personal best. "That's a lot better than I thought I did," she told me. I asked who the girl was and why ElemenoB had run with her instead of at her usual speed. She responded that the girl had begun to walk and seemed to need some encouragement. So encouragement was offered throughout the remainder of the race - even at the end when the girl passed her up.

Why? Because ElemenoB tells me that she gets more satisfaction at the end of a race from knowing she helped someone else finish than from improving her own time.

There are so many lessons to be learned from that.

A few tears escaped from the overflowing reservoir beneath my eyes, thankfully sheltered behind my sunglasses.

And so the rain did come, but not in the way I had expected. And it was beautiful.

Rain Dancers

When a friend comes over to hang out and the hour is late but it is raining and there is no vehicle to drive her home... what do you do?

You dance your way to her house, enjoying the misty downfall and reflections of light on the silvery pavement, of course!

And be sure to save your best moves for the grand finale in her driveway... in case anyone's watching.

All Hail Camp MIA Shalom

The next to last day of camp was overcast and cool.

I held out the selfish hope that we would be blessed with even just a wee bit of thunder and lightning, but to no avail.

When the time came for our closing flag ceremony early that evening, the storm clouds quickly came rolling in...
They were moving in a manner that all but promised a torrential downpour. And before we knew it, there was indeed a deluge falling from the heavens.

But not of rain...

You Make Me Happy (When Skies Are Grey)

This post is for me. Totally for me. And maybe for you if you love clouds and storms like I love clouds and storms.

Today when Allen and I were driving home from the Farmer's Market I saw these beauties crowding the increasingly stormy sky. We drove down our road a piece to get some fantastic, unobstructed views of this gift from the heavens.


They were fairly fast-moving, shifting and changing shapes with the breeze. Then the clouds gathered in this distant canyon:


And lightning and thunder ensued.

Within 5 minutes we were hit with super wind gusts (love!) and rain that poured down in buckets (love more!).

And now it smells just heavenly outside.

Oh happy, blissful day!

Rain Song

Photo from flickr.com

Two of my favorite things are rain and music. But putting the two together? Awesome.

So, maybe you care and maybe you don't, but this is a list of my top ten favorite songs that mention rain (in no particular order).

1. Remember When It Rained (Josh Groban)

2. Thunder (Boys Like Girls)

3. Broken (Kenneth Cope)

4. Unwritten (Natasha Bedingfield)

5. Laughter in the Rain (Neil Sedaka)

6. Can I Have This Dance? (High School Musical 3)

7. Running To Stand Still (U2)

8. A Little Fall of Rain (Les Miserables)

9. Fire and Rain (James Taylor)

10. Lost (Michael Buble)

And now, what say you? What rain songs do you enjoy?

Blankets

Curly is quite a little blanket-lover. She carries her blanket(s) with her everywhere she goes if she can get away with it.

I was thinking about that yesterday morning as she crawled into bed with me, blanket in tow, to watch and listen as the rain beat a steady rhythm against our windows.

"Mom has blankets, Curly." I told her. "We can share."

"No, mom, Curly want Curly's blank-let," she responded.

And why not? Honestly, if I could carry around a blanket without being looked upon as some kind of freak I probably would.

Think about it.

Blankets give warmth and security. They are a place to hide. They make a great place to sit at a beach or park. Blankets offer comfort. They make the perfect forts when draped over a table or chair. They can be used to protect items that are fragile. On a rainy day I could wrap myself in a blanket with a good book and a bowl of popcorn and be content for hours. They offer protection from the elements. Besides all of that, how many of us keep a spare blanket in our car?

A blanket's functions are really just as individual as the person who owns it.

Sometimes I think kids have a wisdom beyond their years.

Curly, you keep toting around that blank-let.

You Make Me Happy

Dear Mother Nature,

Yesterday I woke up to dark clouds carrying the promise of rain. I waited all day and not one drop fell. I'll admit, at first I was a little disappointed... until I realized what you were doing.

You knew the rain would turn into snow because of the chill in the air, and you remembered how much I would love for these same clouds to shower me with big, fat, exploding raindrops on Thursday, so you held them back.

Thank you for being so generous. I'm glad we're friends.

I'll meet you outside on Thursday. Please remember to bring some rain.

Sincerely,
Gerb

Come Again

I looked out the window from the comfort of my couch and saw that my small corner of the world had transformed from a dry and blustery winter day to a thing of rain-soaked beauty.

The most immediate plan to form in my mind was to run outside (still in my church clothes, no less) and become soaked to the skin - letting the water run down my upturned face as I spun in circles, arms outstretched, welcoming this gift from the heavens. I had a fleeting moment of giddy anticipation...

...until I remembered that it is only 36 degrees outside. And that I am a major wimp when it comes to cold.

Oh, Spring, where art thou?!

And so I mouthed these words to the overcast skies:

raincheck

It's Raining...But I'm Not Complaining!

I love the rain.

My kids had swimming lessons this morning at our local outdoor pool. They were hoping lessons would be canceled due to the weather, but the rule is If there is no lightning then lessons go on! Awesome! I mean , were they worried they would get wet or something?

Most mothers huddled inside the building while their kids learned to kick and bob and dive. But me? I enjoyed the rain for a full half-hour from a poolside chair.

My love affair with rain started at an early age when my parents would pop some corn and sit with us on out front porch during rainstorms in Iowa. We would sit in silence, munching popcorn and watching the rain fall, and then enjoy the beautiful rainbows the rain would leave behind as a farewell.

As a teenager I loved listening to the rain from under the lifeguard station near Knob Hill at Redondo Beach. It was my special place to go when the rain came - I would pack my journal as well as a few snacks and ride my bike or drive to the beach in the rain, then run through the sand for the cover of the small wooden building. I could spend hours there recording my thoughts, ideas & poetry to the steady beat of a good rainstorm.

Have you ever thought about how many great songs there are that talk about or refer to rain? I love the way songs can put to words and sweet melodies what is in my heart.

I love the rain.