It’s going to rain today! I’m really strange and can honestly says I LOVE rain, especially thunderstorms. My husband laughs at me when it’s raining very hard outside and I mute the TV so I can “listen to the rain.” That sound gives me an overwhelming sense of calm, and as long as I’m inside and don’t need to venture out, I’d take a thunderstorm every day.

I guess I should move to Seattle or something. That sounds like a good plan, actually, because my two loves are coffee and rain, and that city can sure provide both. Plus, my brain has always been wired on a different schedule, so when I’m awake at midnight here ready to write, in Seattle it would only be 9:00 pm!

It’s fun to talk about that, but I know I’m where I am to stay, so let’s just stick to rain. I like the way rain sounds when it hits the pavement, or the awning over my back porch. I like the way it smells during and after a rainstorm, and the sight of the water dripping off the trees and sparkling on the grass. I love hearing that first clap of thunder, or watching the sky illuminate with the incredible sight of lighting. I like the cozy feeling rain gives me, the almost “stuck inside” feeling, when all I can do is sit and look out the window, preferably good book and java in hand.

I know this feeling isn’t shared with the world. My sister, for one, hates thunderstorms, really it’s the wind that gets to her. I remember being in an IKEA parking lot many years ago, and if you’re familiar with that store, they have all those different flags flying above the lot. She was quite young, and it was a windy, rainy day, and she was in utter terror watching those flags. It’s funny how that sound and feeling can terrify her, yet make me feel calm and inspired. I wonder what it is inside us that makes us feel such different emotions in the same situation?

I think my son is following in my footsteps. He loves crawling up on the couch, standing on his tip toes, and pulling the curtain back to watch and listen to the rain. And if we happen to be outside when it’s sprinkling, he puts his face to the sky and grins as the drops run down his cheeks. There’s no fear in his eyes, only joy.

I know today will be a good one, my writing a little more focused and creative, my heart a little more warm and fuzzy. So rain, rain come and stay!

Do you love the rain? If not, what’s your favorite kind of day?